Eva eventually stopped beside the racked bar and bench designed for bench pressing. The long, steel bar looked quite intimidating and she was supposed to . . . lay down under it . . . then push it up again? That seemed dangerous.

She focused back on her phone and quickly brought up a demo video she found with a simple search on her internet. Nope, that was right. They recommended a spot but Eva was fresh out of gym buddies. Perhaps she should have brought Syah along.

Using a delicate hand she hesitated before testing the weight of the actual bar, lifting one side off the rack and-

clang

CRASH

The water bottle startled her into dropping the side of the bar that had lifted. Unfortunately, it missed that side of the rack and the whole half that missed scrapped against the metal rack and landed on the floor, crossed across the bench.

Immediately, her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. In the gym setting it could have been from exertion but she’d barely done anything yet besides cause a ruckus.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” she muttered to the few individuals around as she scrambled to pick up the bar to replace it back on the rack. Flustered and frantic, she knocked her own water bottle off the bench which elicited another, “Sorryyy,” while she grabbed for it with one hand while the other still held the bar. No, wait, she needed both hands.

Her wide eyes scanned everyone in a minor, embarrassed panic until they landed on . . . freya morningstar.

And she dropped the bar again.

---

freya morningstar

oh shit, she’s coming over here

Give her MATIAS SILPH.

Giver her PENELOPE LIVY.

Give her dahlia goode herself.

Hell, give her paxton concordas who would never let her live this down and hang it over her head in that obnoxious manner unique to his stupidity.

Don’t give her freya morningstar.

Of all the people in this League building, it had to be Freya that watched her struggle and make a fool of herself. In the already overcrowded and overworked mind of the Professor, Freya hated her. Eva struck her, abandoned her, and the thoughtful birthday gift didn’t seem to coax any sort of reaction. Eva waited expectantly for at least a note back, a gentle knock on her door, a thank you. Anything. When she went to sleep disappointed, she could only come to one conclusion: She blew it. The one person’s opinion she valued most.

The sharpness of her words didn’t steady the frantic beating of her heart. Adrenaline folded a dash of anxiety into the embarrassment and she found herself stumbling over her words.

“No I- Uh. I’m fine it’s just -” No, she didn’t ask if Eva was ok so she cut herself off there. She sighed once the bar wass steady, cheri berry red and sweating for reasons other than physical exertion.

The inverted vision of Freya appeared above her; flushed from her own work out, a beautiful pink painted across pale cheeks. Eva sucked in a breath, lips drawing a tight line while she gathered her thoughts, “I’m working out,” she waved vaguely at the facility around them, “Doctor’s orders,” she quickly added in case there was any speculation she just so happened to be in the same place at the same time as Freya on purpose.

---

freya morningstar

Eva knew she looked like an idiot. She’s not naive enough to believe she actually knows what she’s doing. She’s athletic to a degree, mostly just doing things like hiking or swimming or climbing. But equipment in a gym? Totally foreign concept.

She frowned up at Freya, shrugging her shoulders in agreement, “They probably could have done a better job with that,” they most likely assumed, being a doctor and all, that she would be smart enough to determine what she needed on her own to be successful. What they should have assumed was that Eva’s priorities lie elsewhere and this was mostly an inconvenience, “I just looked some up though,” she waved to her phone, “It did say to have a spotter but I-” she bit her lip, realizing how stupid and pathetic she sounded. She didn’t have a spotter because she had no one to ask.

Luckily, she didn’t have to finish that thought. Freya took it upon herself to fill the gap. Eva did what she’s told, like a good girl, and gripped the bar firmly with both hands. It felt more steady with the wider grip and she seemed to have more control this time around.

“Alright, five reps,” she repeated, sucking in a breath before lowering the bar and then pushing it back up with a small grunt. By five, her arms and chest had a light burn but the bar only wobbled a little bit when she went to place it back on the rack.

With a deep breath her face twisted into disdain, “This feels weird, I don’t like it. Is everyone staring at me?” she lifted her head slightly to take a look around, feeling self conscious and vulnerable . . . or maybe that was just because Freya still looked unamused and the distance between them felt like an impossible ocean that needed to be crossed.

---

freya morningstar

Of course no one was staring at her. Why would they aside from free entertainment? The reassurance from Freya still didn’t dull the painful self-consciousness that accompanied the embarrassment that still stained her cheeks red.

Eva lay back down beneath the bar, frowning up at it with obvious contempt, “Alright, ten this time,” her small hands reached up the grasp the cool metal firmly. Before she began, she looked past the bar at Freya and narrowed her emerald eyes, “You shouldn’t stay. I’m sure there’s a million more important things you should be doing,” she had apparently been too busy to say hi or write back or check in. Of course, it was easy to find out her schedule so Eva could have reached out too.

---

freya morningstar

Two words, and the flush in her cheeks spiked, growing so hot she felt the sudden need to hide them but her hands were already firmly around the cool metal of the bar. She’d just have to work through it.

Without a word, the professor’s frown disappeared as she started the reps, her lips eventually twisting with the effort as her muscles started to burn. The last two reps were shaky and slow but she managed to get the bar back up and racked with a loud clang and a forceful huff.

“Phew,” she sucked in a deep breath and wiped a little sweat from her brow. She didn’t get it. This wasn’t fun.

Now that she had Freya trapped and her inhibitions smothered by a spike in adrenaline, she could half joke and half be serious, “Important enough to spot but not important enough to check in on?” she glared up past the bar at Freya with a frown, “By the way, how was your birthday?’ If this didn't get Freya to talk, then it would at least get Eva out of lifting more weights.

---

freya morningstar