Another day of Kiss Week, another silly blurb. I've decided these will be between 100-500 words. Or not. Really the rules are subjective here, but they've been great starters to get me thinking and world building again and I'm really appreciative for the prompts.
Today we have some Gym!AU Solavellan. If you haven't read the brain worm for this rendition of my warrior, Ame'lin Lavellan, you can find it here. I will probably find a way to integrate this scene into a new chapter, as I've been itching to figure out how to move the story forward.
Drabble beneath the cut:
*****
“Shit—!”
With a thud, the barbell slipped from Ame’lin’s hand, narrowly missing her foot as she hopped back. Her gloved left hand shot over to her right, wrapping rapidly beneath her fingers, the only exposed portion of her hands, to hopefully catch the pooling blood before it could drip to the gym floor.
“Are you alright?”
Solas’ smooth voice was limned with concern, and Ame’lin could feel the flush of embarrassment begin to warm her cheeks. The muscles in her jaw tightened; it was a silly point of pride to try to protect, but she couldn’t help it.
“Ahh, I just… cut myself. Some of these barbell handles need new grips. I should clean this up before it gets everywhere.”
Before she could make a move, Solas had pulled his towel from his shoulder and wrapped it beneath her cupped hands. The gesture was purposeful and gentle, though while his hands should have been a warm comfort, the action was stirring more surprising and heated feelings than she had anticipated.
"You don’t have to—"
“Wait here.”
Ame’lin Lavellan was, ordinarily, a woman of action. It was rare anything ever caught her off guard or gave her pause. Yet here she was, frozen in place and stunned to silence. Inside her head, she was willing herself to move, but her body refused to respond. Instead, she nodded numbly, watching him retreat to his bag, retrieve a small zippered bag with a cross on it. He returned with an adhesive bandage and small tube of antibiotic ointment.
“Give me your hand.”
Again, her body defied her, following Solas’ orders rather than her own, and she watched as he gingerly cleaned the wound and wrapped it for her. Each step was slow and deliberate, taken with an amount of care that Ame’lin was not used to receiving. When he finished, his fingers turned her hand over for inspection, looking for anything he might have missed. As he did, all she could think about was just how warm his skin was against hers.
After far too many moments had passed, she realized he was still holding her hand and had made no effort to release it. She jerked it away, inwardly wincing at the immediate awkwardness she’d inflicted on the situation.
"I… uh… Thanks." It felt an inadequate jumble of words, but the small smile he returned suggested they were sufficient enough.
"It is my pleasure. A small repayment for the kindness you’ve shown me."
With a laugh, she shook her head and bent to retrieve the dropped equipment.
"I’ve already told you. You don’t owe me anything, I’m happy to help." As she stood once more, she watched him turn away quickly, as though he might have been averting his eyes. It wasn’t the first time she’d caught him staring, and certainly not the first time she couldn’t resist prodding him about it.
"Honestly, I’m surprised. With that amount of care, I practically expected you to kiss it to make it feel better."
As he gave her a sly grin, she realized that, this time, he was prepared.
"I am afraid I reserve such treatment for more… sensitive locations."
If she could put her foot in her mouth far enough, she’d have tasted her ankles.
Thank you for reading the gym!AU everyone! <3
It is finally complete! It was a fun ride, thank you for supporting me along the way! I need to know, who was your favorite character?
Maybe if you’re up to it this print for your 600 followers celebration? :) Person A and B go to the same gym. Person A looks very rough and intimidating. Person B is a single parent and looks small and frail. Then person B finds out person A is the new preschool teacher at their kid(s)’s school and is super kind.
I’m SO SORRY this is so late. I know it’s been ages. But here, have some Marper cuteness as an apology! <3 <3 <3
Monty isn’t sure why he’s here.
Well, he knows why he’s here,he just doesn’t know why he’s here.When he walks into the gym, he frowns at everything he sees. Everyone’sgrunting. He isn’t sure why, but they’re grunting.
“I’m going to kill Jasper.” Monty says to himself, reaching for hisphone to tell him exactly that. “I’m going to kill him for ever suggesting thiswas a good idea.”
Because the one thing that makes him the most angry is Jasper’ssupposed to be here. He said that hewould join Monty in the gym so he wouldn’t be alone, but now that’s exactlywhat Monty is. So he stares at the equipment, wondering what to push, what topull, what to drape himself over. He may as well be at work, trying to decrypta code from the others at work. In fact, he’d prefer that because then he’d be doing something he’s good at.
“Dammit Jasper!” Monty shouts at his phone when there’s no response.Bringing it to his mouth, he snaps at his voice-to-text, “I swear to god, if youdon’t get here soon, I’m going to find one these weights and beat you to deathwith it!”
“Missing your spotter?”
Monty flinches at the voice, and then stares.
The woman standing before him could kick his ass. And he would 100% be okaywith it.
She has her hands on her hips and is beaming at him. Monty isn’t entirelysure what to say, besides ‘oh my god,’ so he doesn’t say anything at all. The womansteps closer, flipping her hair behind her shoulders. She’s in nothing morethan yoga pants and a sports bra. He’s decidedly not looking at her six-pack and definitely not looking at how her biceps seem bigger than his head.
“Do you need one?”
Monty blinks. It’s such an inopportune time to have a full on stroke. “I’msorry, what?”
“Do you need a spotter?” The woman asks. “You look like you were waitingon someone?”
“Oh yeah, my best friend, but he’s fully dead.”
“Oh,” she says, faltering.
“To me!” Monty exclaims. “He’s dead to me. To… me.”
She smiles awkwardly. “Okay. So to clarify, he’s alive?”
“Yes, I just hate him.”
“Sounds like friendship to me.” She says. “Harper.”
She sticks out her hand and Monty stares at it. After a second, heshakes his head. “Right! Monty.”
“Nice to meet you Monty. If you’re new to the gym, I can give you thetour.”
Which is how Monty somehow spends an hour and a half at the gym. Bythen and of it, he can’t feel his legs, he’s pretty sure his arms aren’t attachedanymore, and he’s actually sweating through his shirt. Through it.
Harper looks about as fresh as she did at the start of the workout.
“That’s great!” She says with a smile as he finishes his last rep thatshe suggested.
If he weren’t trying so hard to impress the woman, he would’ve given upa long time ago. But here he is, a contraption wrapped around his legs as if itwill help. With muscles.
God, but at what cost?
“Nice! You’re a natural.” Harper says cheerily, helping the weightsdown.
“You’re nice. Intimidating, but nice.”
Harper recoils. “How am I intimidating?”
“Have you looked in a mirror?”
Harper flushes a bright red, to which Monty joins. “Oh my god,” hestammers. “I just mean, you are a very attractive lady, oh my god. I’m going togo into the locker room and put my head directly into the toilet—”
“Don’t do that,” she laughs. “I wouldn’t want you to get sick and notable to come back.”
“Come back?” Monty asks. “You really want to do this again? I can’timagine I’m challenging you during your workout in any way.”
“Everyone’s gotta start somewhere,” she says. “Plus, I don’t mind thecompany.”
Monty isn’t sure what happened. One point he was dying of pain, thendying of embarrassment, and then somehow he thinkshe’s being hit on? Jasper was right: he is on an alternate timeline that makesno sense. Somewhere, there’s another version of himself in the woods, desperatelytrying to survive during war or something, in order to balance out what’shappening right now.
“Daddy!”
Before Monty can register anything new, something – or someone – collides with his legs. Montylooks down to see a ruffled head of hair, then the child looks up, beaming athim. “Uncle Jasper said you’re going to kill him!” The little girl cries. “CanI help?”
Monty wants to smack his forehead. “Killing people is bad.”
“Wait,” Jasper calls from the gym entrance. “Say that again so I canget it on tape for reference.”
“Up, Daddy, up!” His daughter cries, making grabby-hands at him.
Monty can’t even feel his arms. He may cry.
Harper must know the face-journey he’s experiencing, because she poorlyhides a laugh as a cough. That gets his daughter’s attention and she lets out ashriek. “Ms. Mac? Daddy, it’s Ms. Mac! Ms. Mac!”
Monty’s having a hard time putting the pieces together. Jasper’sfinally caught up with them, given the two of them a once over, mutter ‘nice’not nearly quiet enough, and Monty wishes he could evaporate. “Oh! Ms. Mac! You’reHannah’s teacher!”
Harper smiles. “Oh my gosh, Hannah, is this your dad?”
“Yes!” Hannah cries. She wraps her hand in his.
“Sorry, I should’ve known it was you, she talks about you all the time.”Monty says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I should’ve recognized the name.”
“It’s actually McIntyre, my students just have trouble with itsometimes, so I go by Ms. Mac,” Harper says. “And we haven’t even had parentteach conferences yet, so don’t worry too much about it. But now I havesomething to look forward to. Bye Hannah.”
“Bye Ms. Mac!”
Monty stands there, legs numb. Jasper leans in. “Dude.”
“Shut up.”
“Dude.”
Monty takes a breath. “Hannah, sweetie? I think it’s time to kill UncleJasper now.”
“I thought you said killing was bad?”
“I changed my mind.”
Picking Hannah up, Monty finds what little energy he has left to sprint after his best friend. He isn’t sure who shrieks louder: Hannah or Jasper.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Title: Employer Relations
Rating: Mature
Chapters: 2/?
Pairings: Eventual M!Hawke/Anders, background Carver Hawke/Peaches
Characters: Garrett Hawke, Anders, Carver Hawke, Peaches
Other tags: Alternative Universe - British, Alternative Universe - Modern, Gyms, Boss/Employee Relationship, Bethany and Carver Hawke Live, Physiotherapy, Weightlifting, Protein Shakes
Summary:
Modern!AU. Garrett Hawke runs Hawke Health Clubs, an upcoming chain of high-end gyms in London, UK. Life is going well… until physiotherapist Anders applies to Hawke’s flagship gym for a job.
There’s only one problem: Hawke might be his boss, but he fancies the pants off him. How on earth is he going to handle this? (Carver is never gonna let him live this one down.)
To say Anders was nervous about this job interview was an understatement. Even though he was well-qualified and came with glowing references, it was the first job he’d ever applied for that wasn’t a role in either a disability charity or the NHS, and he couldn’t help wondering how different the expectations of a private sector role would be.
He pulled his messy blond hair into a ponytail and hoped it would be presentable enough. A teal-coloured jacket over a brown waistcoat came next, finished off with smart black jeans and black boots, and Anders regretted that he hadn’t bought a suit for the interview. He hadn’t really needed it for the charity he’d previously worked for (and he still planned to volunteer for them in his spare time, even if he got this job), but he’d had no idea how a high-end gym would expect him to dress. He’d never even been inside one, but could only hope that a gym would be less formal than any other type of work environment… even if this job did seem comparatively cushy and well-paid compared to his previous jobs.
Treating the sporting injuries of the rich and pampered was not how Anders would have planned his career; but this was one of the only jobs Anders could find that would pay him enough to just exist in this blasted expensive city, and still allow him time to work for the charity for free – to pay him enough to live on while he could continue to do some good. He fastened the large round gold buckle on his belt, gave himself a final once-over in the mirror, and left his apartment.
AN: A javid au I thought of & couldn't get out of my head until I wrote it Jack had been going to the gym regularly for a while now, working out with his friend Spot. They'd spot each other while lifting weights, chat between sets, and exchange workout tips. He was lifting dumbbells in a bicep curl when someone opened the door to the gym, walking in. Naturally his eyes shifted to the location of the sound and he froze, dropping the heavy weight on his foot. "SON OF A-MMMMM" he exclaimed, holding his foot. Spot instantly dropped his own weights to the floor, mindful of his own feet, and rushed to his side. "You okay Jacky?" he asked, concern covering his face. He hissed as he set his foot back down, "Yeah, I'm okay." His eyes still lingered on the man who had just entered: he was tall with a skinny build, dark hair, really beautiful. He seemed to be in his own world, listening to his music as he put his bag in a locker. Spot followed his gaze, lips quirking up. "Don't ogle too much, wouldn't wanna make a fool outta yourself. Oh wait, you already have." "Shut up," Jack grumbled. "Now will ya make yourself useful an' spot me while I bench press?" Jack got in two sets of twenty before the guy made his way over to him. Jack set the weights on the rack and sat up. "Excuse me, did it hurt?" the young man asked. Jack gave a charming smile, leaning against the bar, "What? When I fell from heaven?" "No, when you dropped that weight on your foot, it looked heavy." Jack's face lit up immediately and Spot covered his mouth with a hand, trying to muffle his laughter. He turned away, pretending to fiddle with a machine. Jack could only manage to squeak out, "It hurt a little." He offered a gentle smile, lightly hitting Jack on the arm, "Alright, take it easy, wouldn't want to hurt yourself even more." Jack was left speechless, but inside he was screaming. ~ The next day when they went to the gym, he was determined he wouldn't embarrass himself. He was Jack Kelly! Handsome, suave, charming, strong, definitely not a flustered idiot who couldn't compose himself. "So what're ya gonna do if you see your boyfriend again today?" Spot teased, nudging his arm. Jack shook him off, "I'm gonna act normal, an' if you do anything I will literally decapitate you." Spot held his hands up in defense, "Yikes, alright I won't do anything that might ruin your chances." Jack shot him a look and Spot chuckled, setting his bag in his locker. "Don't look now but here he comes. "Where?!" Jack practically yelled, turning around with wide eyes. When no one was there he turned to his laughing friend, "Oh fuck you." ~ Jack and Spot had been at the gym for about 30 minutes before he walked in. Jack was currently jogging on the treadmill, watching as went by. Then his legs started going faster, and he had to grab the bars to keep from falling off. Spot gave him a shit eating grin, taking his hand away and left Jack's treadmill on the highest setting. Still holding on, Jack lowered the setting back to normal, flipping off his friend and reaching over to his machine, cranking the incline so that Spot was practically sprinting at an 80 degree angle. Spot had a tougher time staying on than Jack did, but managed to get the machine back to the right settings. Jack finished up running, wiping it down with a sanitary wipe and grabbing a towel to drape across his neck. He made his way over to where the guy was seated doing curl ups. Jack mustered up one of his most charming smiles, "Is it hot in here, or is it just you?" He gave a thoughtful look before responding, "No, it's a bit humid. Jack ran a hand down his face. He was persistent and wouldn't let this get in the way. He was by far the cutest guy he had ever seen, and he was crushing hard. "Let me rephrase that," he said, leaning against the wall in a casual manner, "How's the hottest guy in the gym today?" He furrowed his brows before a look of realization washed over his face, followed by a shy smile aimed at the ground, quickly met up with a smirk as he looked directly at Jack, "I don't know, how are you?" The smooth calmness left Jack immediately, and his legs buckled slightly. Good thing he was leaning against a wall. "I-uh-um I, I'm fIne, ahem, fine," he stammered out. Why was he acting like this? He was usually much more articulate. He guessed it was because he was so often the one flirting, that no one ever flirted back. He had no idea how to react. He was screwed. ~ The next time Jack went to the gym, he was sure he had died and gone to heaven. The boy was wearing loose fitting sweat pants and a homemade tank top made by cutting out large holes where the sleeves should be. God he could practically see his entire torso. He couldn't stop staring, and he was afraid he was starting to take notice. As he was admiring him from across the gym, the other looked up, catching Jack stare. He smiled at him and winked and Jack was gone. "Hello, earf ta Jack! Get your head outta fantasy land an' make sure I don't drop this on my chest!" Jack shook his head, coming back into reality and placing his hands under the bar. After Spot was done, Jack made his way over. He was preparing to do pull ups and boy, would Jack pay to see that. He decided he'd just linger around for a moment: use some nearby machines while he let the nice man finish his sets. Once he seemed done, Jack walked up to him, "Excuse me sir, but this gym isn't open carry, so I'm gonna have to ask ya to put dem guns away." Yes. Way to go Kelly! That was smooth. That was SO smooth. You are the king of smooth. That was smoother than butter on ice on a hot day. That was- "Why? You don't seem to be putting yours away and they're much bigger than mine," he said, leaning against the pull up bar. FUCK. Jack stood there, mouth agape. He could tell he was blushing. He looked at the ground, unable to help the dopey grin that he knew was plastered on his face. The other guy smiled at him, "The name's Davey." He looked up, smiling as he gazed into his eyes, "Jack. What'd ya say you give me your number, and we can hang out some time." He smiled at him, "I'd say that's the most you've said to me without stuttering." Jack's cheeks lit up and he let out a small nervous giggle. "I'd also say yes."
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
I genuinely have no idea how long this is going to be, but @ingellvarphd made art and it made me make words so HERE YOU GO.
If you want to know the context, you're just gonna have to read, aren't you?
Preview below, please click through to read the rest, and enjoy dumb Solas being dumb. 😂
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Solas stared up at the entrance to the gym, its sign flickering dimly in the late afternoon sun. It was one of a larger chain, Templar Sports, but this particular branch was in the elven district of Wycome. This meant it was a little (okay, a lot) less maintained than some of the larger locations in nicer, more affluent parts of the city. This was indicated by how only some of the fluorescent letters had their lights burned out from lack of care, ironically making the sign read “Temp Spot” as the sun set and the unlit letters became harder to parse.
He wondered how intentional it was that those particular lights were the ones that persisted.
It had been at least five minutes of him standing in front of the building now, his heart hammering in his chest. He was nervous and it wasn't so much as he didn’t know why so much as there were too many reasons that it could be and he wasn’t sure which was most valid.
His pride dictated it was embarrassment from his previous poor gym performance that had unintentionally introduced him to Ame’lin. His logic supposed it might be because he had not had much social interaction with strangers since prior to his accident several months ago and was out of practice.
Another part of him suggested it was because a beautiful woman had handed him her number and invited him to meet at a designated time and such a circumstance was not dissimilar to a date.
