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2019-06-19
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2020-04-01
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injured a stone, hospitalized a brick

Summary:

Seething in the aftermath of a disastrous family dinner that Dean had tricked her into holding, Beth’s eyes catch the words on the tattered piece of paper that has silently mocked her for the last week. Looking back down at the polo in her hands Beth lets the shirt fall into the foamy water and pulls the yellow gloves from her hands. Her fingers brush gently across the words of the coffee-stained flyer as her face breaks into a slow smile. Beth Boland was going to take back control of her life and she was going to start with boxing classes.

or

A Brio Boxing AU

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The sharp autumn breeze immediately burrows its way under Beth’s skin as she steps out of her car and glances around the small park near her home. Despite the sunshine slowly warming her cheeks the cool air seems to have deterred others from being outdoors except for a family pushing two children on the swings and a father and son kicking a soccer ball back and forth. Sighing quietly to herself Beth reaches for the phone resting in her coat pocket to message Dean.

Their divorce is still a fresh wound that refuses to heal and the act of untangling twenty years of memories hasn’t been as easy as Beth had hoped. The ties that bind the two of them are too much to overcome some days especially when it seems that once she is able to sever one Dean has attached another two. She is in the middle of sending a quick ‘where are you’ text when a bright orange piece of paper appears just behind the glowing screen of her phone. Clutching her hands against her chest, Beth looks up to meet the eyes of a young woman holding a massive stack of flyers.

“No registration fees for the entire month of October when you bring this flyer to sign up for classes at Eastside Gym,” the girl chirps with a voice that’s almost as high as her ponytail. Forcing the same smile she typically reserves for other PTA moms on her face, Beth starts to refuse the paper when she catches sight of Dean and her kids approaching from the far side of the park. Confronted with the sudden prospect of giving Dean the chance to meet yet another barely legal mistress, Beth grabs the flyer and moves quickly to put some distance between where she was just standing and her family.

A flare of tension begins to roll up her neck and Beth prays that she can get through this hand-off unscathed and without Dean trapping her into another family activity. It’s almost as if he can sense that she is trying to regain who she was before him and in his desperation has resorted to using their children to keep her closer than feels comfortable. While Beth has little problem saying no to Dean’s requests she can’t find it in her to fight the sad eyes of her children when they plead for time with both their mother and father.

The fake smile on her face slowly morphs into one of happiness as Emma tackles her at the knees. Letting out a quiet laugh, Beth moves to place the items in her hands into her satchel. The exchange with the overeager gym employee pushed from her consciousness as the pressing concern of dinner and baths slam to the forefront of her mind and she moves quickly to guide the children back to her minivan and away from Dean’s forlorn eyes.

It’s almost two weeks later that the day at the park comes back into Beth’s memory as she pulls out the now crumpled piece of paper from her purse as she’s searching for her favorite tube of lipstick. Smoothing out the creases she breathes out a soft laugh at the image of four overly buff men looking back at her from the page. Her hands move to place the paper with the small pile of other items bound for recycling when the bolded words “are you looking to take control of your life?” catch her eye.

With her hand hovering above the recycling bin Beth’s gaze shifts out the window above her kitchen sink that overlooks the backyard. Through the panes she can see Dean slowly pushing a lawnmower across the yard, the pattern he creates in the sod looks patchy even from Beth’s vantage point. An uncomfortable feeling begins bubbling up in her stomach that surprises Beth in how aggressive it takes hold and causes her to briefly crinkle the paper still resting in her left hand. It’s only when Jane runs into the kitchen asking about her goo kit that Beth places the flyer on the kitchen island near her baking supplies instead of the bright blue bin.

The words manage to haunt Beth for days until they become the only thing she can see. Somehow the phrase manifests itself in random conversations and advertisements in her favorite magazines until eventually bold black letters begin to appear to her in dreams that leave her feeling unbalanced for hours upon waking. But it isn’t until Beth is elbow deep in lukewarm soapy water scrubbing at a spaghetti stain on one of Dean’s work polos that something in her breaks.

Seething in the aftermath of a disastrous family dinner that Dean had tricked her into holding, Beth’s eyes catch the words on the tattered piece of paper that has silently mocked her for the last week. Looking back down at the polo in her hands Beth lets the shirt fall into the foamy water and pulls the yellow gloves from her hands. Her now pruney fingers brush gently across the words of the coffee-stained flyer as her face breaks into a slow smile. Beth Boland was going to take back control of her life and she was going to start with boxing classes.

--

It takes almost twenty minutes before Beth feels prepared enough to approach the unassuming brick building from the safety of her car. Grabbing the once vibrant flyer from the seat next to her she moves towards the front door and with one final deep breath pushes them open. The bright fluorescent lights momentarily blind her before the scent of muskiness and cleaning chemicals fills her nostrils. Reorienting herself quickly Beth’s hands shift to secure the strap of her purse before she strides toward the small reception desk and a white-haired woman.

“Um, hi. I was interested in signing up for your boxing class for women,” Beth says as she slides the tattered flyer across the counter. The older woman slowly turns from where she was folding towels and Beth can just make out the word 'Judy' embroidered into her shirt.

“You’re a little late for that promotion unfortunately sweetheart,” Judy says with a kind smile as she hands Beth a clipboard with several sheets of paper attached. “But why don’t you start filling out this paperwork and I’ll see what I can do for you?”

Mumbling a quiet thank you Beth moves towards a collection of mismatched chairs situated just to the side of the reception desk and looks out across the gym. The space itself isn’t much different than other gyms Beth has belonged to over the years. Mirrors line one entire wall, another is adorned with racks of various weights and kettle bells, and several punching bags with the word Everlast written on the side hang from an old steel beam towards the back. It’s the large boxing ring dominating the center of the space that holds her gaze though as she clocks a small crowd of people watching two men slowly circle one another.

At first glance, Beth isn’t sure how it’s an even fight. A large pale man with the tattoo of a skull on his head looms menacingly over his slimmer opponent who must be fifty pounds lighter. A flicker of pity for the smaller man passes through Beth before she moves her attention back to the paperwork resting on her lap. She’s debating whether to list Ruby or Annie as her emergency contact when a loud cheer brings her eyes back to the ring.

The smaller man has somehow gotten his opponent up against the ropes and is unrelenting in his strikes against the man’s rib cage. Several black bars line the warm brown skin on the back of his arms and his repeated punches blur them into one long streak of ink. Beth can’t help but watch the sinewy muscles of his back as he punches the larger man - the sharp contrast of his angled shoulder blades with the smooth planes of unblemished skin that stretches for miles before disappearing beneath a pair of black gym shorts. Suddenly her hands itch to trace the line of sweat that she imagines is slowly descending from the back of his neck - to feel the power behind his every movement.

The larger man must finally surrender because the other stops abruptly and takes two steps back before moving to the side of the ring to accept a bottle of water. A breath she didn’t even realize she was holding escapes Beth as she leans back in her chair, her body moving closer to the action without her even realizing it.

Taking a quick drink from her own water bottle Beth laughs quietly to herself before picking up the clipboard from the ground where it had fallen at some point. Signing her name with an extra flourish she walks back to the reception desk and Judy.

“Can you hold on a sec honey?” Judy asks Beth with a harried smile before turning to wave down someone across the gym. “Hey, Rio? Do you mind coming over here for a minute?”

Beth follows the woman’s movement and sees the man she was just openly watching in the ring now striding towards her wiping his face with a white towel. It’s only when he lowers his hand that she realizes this is the first time she’s seen his face.

Her eyes greedily take in the hint of a beard framing his strong jawline and cheekbones that she thinks would cut her finger if she were to touch them. But it’s the large eagle tattoo spanning the width of his neck that gives Beth pause and makes her wonder how it would feel beneath her fingertips, beneath her lips. Forcing herself back into the present she takes one step back from the desk as Rio approaches in hopes that even this small distance will extinguish whatever is now blazing inside her.

“Yo.”

“I really hate to ask but Tonya just called in to say she’s going to be fifteen minutes late and she needs someone to start the warm-up for her class. I would do it but you know with how my knee’s been acting up lately that I’m not going to be any good to anyone. Do you have some extra time to help us out?” Judy asks in one rambling breath, stress etching its way into the wrinkles on her brow with each word.

Without even a glance in Beth’s direction Rio flashes a quick smile to the poor woman. “I can do fifteen.”

“God you are truly a lifesaver!” she says before looking down at the clipboard Beth had laid on the counter only moments before. “Okay Elizabeth you can go with Rio and he’ll get you set up with the rest of the class. Stop by before you leave and I’ll make sure you get a key and copy of the paperwork. Welcome to Eastside Gym!”

Pivoting slightly away from the counter Rio’s gaze falls on Beth and she watches as he slowly rakes his eyes over her form before exhaling out a quiet laugh. She knows what she must look like to him. Knows he is taking in the sharp contrast of her bright floral tank to the almost cold sterility of the rest of their surroundings, the softness of her features and body compared to his own jagged roughness. Just another Mrs. Cleaver looking to shake up her life in middle age. And there’s what Beth thinks is a flash of pity in his eyes mixed with something else she can’t name before it’s gone and a smirk appears on his face.

Anger replaces the fervor previously surging through Beth’s veins at the thought of this stranger judging her and dismissing her so quickly. If this was before Beth might have wilted under his stare or turned and marched back to her car with her tail between her legs. Instead, she grasps whatever semblance of confidence she’s gained since that night in her kitchen and gives him what she hopes is her most withering glare before stalking towards the space she assumes is the classroom leaving him behind in her wake.

Laying her purse down against the mirror Beth moves towards the only free punching bag and bends to pick up the pair of gloves resting on the ground. She’s only just fastened the last piece of velcro when Rio appears in the space now wearing a black sleeveless shirt that matches his shorts.

“Okay ladies, so Tonya’s gonna be a couple minutes. You guys cool startin’ with the bags until she gets here?” Rio asks as his eyes move from person to person. The other women nod and turn to start their workout leaving only Beth facing Rio. She’s trying to work out what he was able to so easily see in that brief moment at the desk to cause that laugh when she notices he hasn’t turned away from her like she expected and instead is raising his right eyebrow at her in some kind of silent challenge.

Cheeks blazing in embarrassment Beth spins around quickly and reaches her hand out to lightly tap the punching bag before glancing to her left to figure out how to position her feet. Taking a deep breath she closes her eyes and starts to give herself a pep talk when she’s startled by a warm sensation on her left hip.

Blinking her eyes open again Beth meets Rio’s gaze in the mirror and she can see now that he has positioned himself behind her with his left hand resting on her hip bone. Slowly Rio increases the strength of his grip on her hip, the heat of his hand seeping into her skin through the fabric of her leggings. His eyes languidly move across her face in the mirror and Beth struggles to remember the last time anyone touched her like this in any meaningful way. She begins to raise her arm to reach back for him when the sound of a punching bag hitting the wall shatters the moment.

As if remembering why he had come over in the first place, Rio leans his head down so his mouth is level with Beth’s ear and quietly murmurs, “You need to angle your body. You ain’t gonna do shit with a punch that comes straight on.”

Rotating her hips slowly in his grasp, Beth looks over her shoulder to check whether the new position will be okay only to realize he hasn’t moved his own head back. Warm breath fans out on her left cheek and she swears she can see her flushed face reflected in his blown-out pupils. Sweeping his tongue across his lips quickly Rio pulls back and removes his hand from her hip.

“A’ight, now let’s see what you can do. You ain’t afraid to break a nail right Elizabeth?” he quips before folding his arms across his chest. The movement only serves to draw Beth’s focus to the large tattoo resting on his left shoulder before she fully comprehends his comment.

“I’m tougher than I look,” she replies before her fist strikes the punching bag, “and my name’s Beth.” The bag barely moves, but the action fills her with a sense of accomplishment she hasn’t felt in years. Her eyes meet his again in the mirror and she catches the tail end of an open expression that’s gone before she knows it.

“Okay, okay,” he says before drawing his bottom lip between his perfect white teeth. Nodding to himself quickly Rio begins to lift his right hand to the space between her shoulder blades to change her position again when a voice breaks through the fog.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry guys for being late!” a tall brunette enters Beth’s sight and begins to fasten a pair of gloves. “Rio thank you so much for helping out, you’re the best.”

Rio just shakes his head and turns to leave before pausing. His hand briefly rests on Beth’s shoulder and then he’s gone. But before Beth can even think about following his departure the brunette is standing next to her launching into a detailed explanation of the workout and different intervals.

And she’s in the middle of her third thirty-second drill when the sound of laughter echoes throughout the gym. Stopping to brush her now sweaty bangs from her forehead, Beth twists her head to locate the source. Her eyes sweep across the room before they land on Rio standing near the reception desk with his arm around a young boy in a little league uniform. The boy is in the middle of telling what appears to be a very involved story to Judy as Rio’s hand lifts to ruffle his jet black hair.

Turning around to see that Tonya is still facing away from her, Beth allows herself another minute to observe Rio and this child that must be his son. The story ends with a dramatic embellishment as the boy throws his arms in the air earning laughs from both adults and Beth watches as Rio crouches down to say something to the boy before lifting him into his arms and throwing him over his shoulder. The sound of the buzzer combined with Tonya’s voice snaps Beth’s attention back to her corner of the gym. She’s only half listening to the next set of instructions when she chances another look back towards the front desk only to be met with the sight of the door gently swinging shut.

The next morning Beth will wake up to see light yellow bruises have formed along the ridges of her knuckles. But the pain of them won’t compare to the lingering heat from his touch burned into the skin of her hip and shoulder.

--

“I’m sorry, but did you just say boxing classes?” Ruby asks before stopping her cart in the middle of a brightly lit aisle of the Cloud 9 superstore.

The sound of some interchangeable top forty song fills the air as Beth turns to meet the incredulous face of her best friend. “Oh don’t give me that look,” she says as she moves towards the clothing section. “And it’s not boxing as much as it’s boxing-inspired HIIT.”

Beth guides her cart next to a display laden with piles of neon workout clothes. Picking up a pair of bright green capris she wrinkles her nose before laying them back down. “Okay I’ll bite,” Ruby replies handing her a navy tank top, “what’s boxing-inspired HIIT?”

Holding the shirt up against her torso Beth is met with a nod of approval from Ruby. “Think more cardio and less the stuff your dad used to make us watch on Saturday nights,” she answers before placing the top into her cart.

Her answer immediately brings the image of Rio gliding across the cushioned ring to the forefront of her mind. In the weeks since her first class Beth had found herself seeking Rio out whenever she stepped into the gym - quick glances over her shoulder after she managed to successfully complete a circuit or long looks at the front door during her cool down stretch silently willing his figure to slowly emerge under the fluorescent lights.

On some level, Beth knew that what she felt was more than just an attraction. While Rio’s initial appeal may have been purely physical, with time she had begun to understand that it was his control and power that kept her gaze continuously searching for his in any room. The way his presence commanded a space in spite of his slim build. The way people seemed to utter his name with reverence. And that’s what Beth wanted - not the whispered adoration but to be seen and respected.

The image of Rio’s gaze on her face in the smudged mirror after that first punch flashes through her mind. His face reflected back at her with an expression that she hadn’t been able to identify in the moment but has since realized was the mixture of surprise and pride. That Rio had seen what she was capable of and it had impressed him. And god, she thinks, when was the last time anyone had looked at her and been impressed? The last time someone had seen her potential without connecting it to their own selfish desires?

“I don’t know why you couldn’t just sign up for a yoga class or something,” Ruby mumbles breaking Beth from her thoughts. Ruby’s fingers glide over the hangers of various lightweight jackets before pausing on a floral pattern, “Is this about Dean? Has he been pushing you to get back together again? Just say the word and I can have Stan show him why he’s one of Detroit's finest.”

“It’s not that really,” Beth sighs softly as her fingers reach out to gently pluck at the seam of a pair of bike shorts. “You just have no idea what it’s like to watch yourself become a background detail in your own life. To see the colors around you fade a little more each day until all you have left is a mess of grays and blacks. To have the children you’ve spent years caring for decide they prefer the company of yellow minions to you. To have the man you once loved decide your feelings and wishes aren’t as important as his own.” Tears prick behind her eyes and she feels the slide of wet mascara on her cheekbones before continuing, “For whatever reason I’m actually good at this and it feels good to be good at something. I finally feel like I’m becoming that person I always wanted to be when we were young. I finally feel like I have power in my life and I don’t want to lose that.”

A soft sniffle makes Beth turn around. “You owe me a damn slushee for making me cry in the middle of this store,” Ruby says as she searches for a tissue in her purse. Beth gives her a quick smile and leans her chest across the clothing racks to brush away the tear slowly falling down her friend’s cheek.

“As many as you want.”

Taking a deep breath in to recenter herself Ruby quickly comments, “Alright then - boxing lessons. You know I bet the view is much more enjoyable at a boxing gym than a yoga studio anyway.”

“Maybe if you’re into a bunch of overly tan men with neck veins the size of my arms,” Beth jokes unable to stop a grin from appearing on her face at the expression Ruby makes in response. “You know you’re always welcome to join me if you want. It really is a great workout.”

“Babe if I didn’t have to deal with a pile of medical bills from Sara’s surgery I would be there,” Ruby says with a sad smile as they begin to head towards the registers. “But I do know someone who would never pass up the opportunity to punch someone if you need the company.”

--

The long black hand ticks closer and closer towards the top of what once must have been a polished clock above the reception desk as Beth tries to temper her growing disappointment. She should have known better than to expect that Annie would actually show up on time. Breathing out a soft sigh of resignation, she starts toward the stretch of benches lining the back wall closest to the class space and begins to search for the hair tie that has somehow disappeared into the depths of her new black gym bag. After what feels like a small eternity her fingers finally land on the elasticated fabric and in the process of pulling her hand back a small roll of hand tape flies out of the bag. Beth watches as the tape arcs through the air as if in slow motion before it lands with a quiet thump on the ground and rolls to a stop against the toe of a black tennis shoe. Dragging her eyes up from the tape she’s met with the bemused face of Rio who is watching her with one eyebrow raised.

Beth immediately feels the blood rush to the skin of her cheeks and silently prays that her face has somehow not turned the same color as her red hair. Leaning forward she reaches her arm out to pick up the tape only to be met with the feeling of warm skin beneath her fingertips instead. Her hand lingers on Rio’s before she remembers herself and jumps back.

“You plannin’ on moving in?” Rio asks nodding his head towards the now spilled contents of the duffel bag resting next to Beth.

Huffing out a short laugh, Beth shakes her head as her hands move frantically to push the fallen items back into her bag. She groans softly to herself as she sees a lone tampon sitting next to her foot, “I can’t be prepared?”

A smirk begins to grow on Rio’s face as he tosses the tape from hand to hand, “Mama there’s prepared and then there’s whatever this is.”

And of course, he would choose this moment to re-enter her life. It had been weeks since she last saw him at the gym and Beth had only just convinced herself that the feelings she couldn’t seem to shake were due to her own loneliness. Too many quiet nights in her bed alone and too many years going without the experience of a warm and affectionate male gaze. It was only natural that she mistake what was probably a friendly gesture as something more intimate. But now she only feels annoyance at the warm feeling that has started to spread in her chest despite his prolonged absence.

“Do you think I could have that back please?” she asks reaching her hand out to take the tape back from Rio. “Some of us have a class to get ready for and I don’t want to be late for warm-up.”

Rio lets out a low whistle. “Is that so, huh? Well I would hate for you to be late.” He reaches behind him and moves a chair in front of Beth before sitting down. “Let’s make sure you’re ready then.”

It takes Beth a minute to catch up to what’s happening and once she does Rio is already holding her left hand while he rips a piece of tape from the spool with his teeth. She is lost in the thought of those teeth on other more intimate places when she realizes that Rio has asked her a question. “I’m sorry - what?” Beth sputters out as she attempts to focus on what he is saying and not the feeling of his rough hands against her own smooth ones.

Rio shakes his head quickly before repeating, “I was askin’ if you had been enjoyin’ the class so far.”

“It’s not what I expected, but I’m enjoying it,” Beth responds. “I could do without all the men walking around flexing their muscles though,” she adds in a voice that’s more breathless than she intended before tilting her head at Rio’s arms peeking out from a navy sleeveless shirt that is almost a perfect match to her own tank top.

“Huh.” Beth could swear that she sees the ghost of a smile on his lips and that feeling in her chest grows a little heavier. But then he falls quiet and focuses on tearing off another piece of tape.

“Was that your son that came in before?” Beth asks softly before she can stop herself. She wishes she could blame the question on the intoxicating mixture of his sweat and cologne cutting off the oxygen supply to her brain - but the image of him with that small boy heaved over his shoulder laughing loudly had burrowed its way deep inside her and in such close proximity to him she can’t find the willpower to stop herself from asking the question that has plagued her thoughts for weeks.

And for a brief moment Beth thinks he isn’t going to answer her, that she’s crossed a line that she didn’t know existed within him. She can see the tension slowly move its way up his arms as his hands pause briefly in wrapping her left hand. But as quickly as it comes it leaves. “Yeah,” he says on an exhale, “that was Pop.”

“Pop?”

A small smile flashes across his face that Beth finds herself mirroring. Rio moves to take her right hand and the coarseness of his hand momentarily drags her eyes from his face. “Marcus actually. Told him we would meet at 7 and he ain’t the best at waitin’ an extra five minutes.”

“A trait I’m sure he inherited from his father,” Beth teases. “I’m sure he dreams of being just like you when he grows up,” she adds remembering the grin that had lit up the boy’s face when he fell into his father’s arms.

His hands pull the tape a little more tightly on his next loop and Beth can’t stop the gasp that comes out. He flicks his eyes up quickly to gauge her reaction before continuing slowly. “The sins of the father are bound to repeat in the son right?” and he speaks so softly Beth isn’t sure he meant for her to hear it at all. Clearing his throat he adds, “Most of his dreams revolve around playing baseball right now.”

And even though he hadn’t brushed off her comment Beth can see that the door into Rio’s world is slowly closing before her. “Kenny, my oldest, is convinced he’s going to be the next Michael Phelps,” she says in an effort to release some of the tension that has resurfaced in Rio.

“He any good?”

“We like to keep him busy so he doesn’t get to spend as much time in the water as he wants. But, yes, he’s not bad,” Beth says fondly thinking of the hours she has spent sitting in the chlorine heavy air watching Kenny swim laps.

“We?” It’s said with an air of nonchalance, but Beth can see the way Rio’s eyes shift briefly to look at the ring finger on her left hand.

“My ex-husband and I,” she says trying to meet Rio’s eyes. He’s almost done wrapping her hand and Beth doesn’t want the connection to end with this man that has been front and center in her mind since the moment she met him. “It started with swim then came scouts then debate club. And that’s just Kenny. Each of the others has at least two activities too.” Beth let’s out a deep breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “I love seeing them busy and so happy, but some days I feel like I’m nothing more than a glorified chauffeur and homework checker. That I only exist to cook and take care of others.”

“Nah, you’re more interesting than that,” he says gently as he shifts his torso forward slightly keeping her now fully wrapped hand firmly in his grasp. Beth’s eyes track the movement, watching as the muscles in his shoulder adjust to accommodate their new position. And for a moment she thinks he is going to bridge the space between them and press his lips to her flushed skin. She can almost feel the soft flutter of his long eyelashes on her cheeks when a sudden pain in her left arm jolts her back to the present.

“Not to interrupt this little moment or anything, but class is about to start and I didn’t pay $25 to not punch my sister so…” Annie says as she bends down to pick up the boxing glove now resting by Beth’s left foot.

Rio breathes out a soft laugh and rubs his thumb quickly over Beth’s knuckles before slowly loosening his grip on her hand and leaning back in his seat. The space between them that just a moment ago felt microscopic now feels too vast for Beth to traverse. Glancing quickly over his shoulder, Rio stands and slowly refocuses his gaze on Beth’s face before tilting his chin at her hands. “Make sure to watch yourself when you cut those off, yeah Elizabeth?” The words only just out of his mouth before he turns on his heel and jogs back over to the two men Beth saw him speaking with when she came in only ten minutes earlier.

“Was that really necessary?” Beth hisses at Annie as she roughly pulls the glove from her grip.

Sighing loudly Annie turns to face Beth and starts securing a pair of boxing shields to her hands. “God knows you deserve it and all Elizabeth,” Annie begins before raising her eyebrows on the final word. “But I had to work an extra shift to have enough money to go to this class with you. That was four extra hours of quality bonding time with Boomer and pushing club card sign-ups, so yeah I did. Please focus on cleaning the twigs out of your lady cave on your own time and let me take out years of pent up sisterly aggression now.”

Beth finds herself barking out a deep laugh as Annie begins to jump from one foot to the other while slapping the shields together. “Okay, okay,” she says picking up her duffel bag and moving towards the partitioned class space.

“But if you wanted to jump him in the locker room on our way out I won’t stop you. God, I’ll even find the condom for you,” Annie jokes as she pushes her elbow into Beth’s side.

“You are a child,” Beth says gently reprimanding her. “And honestly he probably only came over because he felt sorry for me sitting alone on that bench. A problem I only had because you were running late.”

“And all I’m saying is,” Annie whispers as the instructor moved towards the front of the space, “if a man who had a face like that and arms that jacked looked at me half as intensely as he just did to you I wouldn’t be wearing pants for much longer.”

Rolling her eyes Beth begins to formulate the words in her head to dispel the notion that Rio would be interested in someone like her. It was pity that brought him over to her in the first place, right? Why else would he go out of his way to help her? Turning her head to look over at where Rio was now standing Beth’s gaze traces the lines of his back before pausing on his hands. Shaking her head she turns back towards Annie and hopes the smile on her face doesn’t come across quite as fake as it feels.

Notes:

Thanks so much for reading! This is my first attempt at writing anything creatively so I'm honestly just in disbelief that this story exists right now! Hopefully I'll get chapter two posted next week!

Thanks so much to fortunehasgivenup for the original idea!