PANTING HEAVILY, Isqueezed my eyes closed and forced out my last set of 10 reps on the overhead press machine in the BBU campus gym. Maddox watched me intently, waiting patiently for me to finish. Once I dragged myself up off the machine, sanitizing the seat and back pad with a wipe from the provided container, I followed behind him to where Cyprian was lounging in an empty area of the floor.
I’d been going to the gym with them a couple times a week since the start of the fall semester. I’d expected to feel abject humiliation approaching someone like Maddox, who was built like one of those Greek god statues, for fitness advice but he’d been extremely cool about it. He’d basically become my personal trainer, even mapping out a workout routine for me, after asking me a bunch of questions like what my goals and inspo were. He was taking it quite a bit more seriously than I’d anticipated, but I appreciated his effort and enthusiasm. If nothing else, both he and Cyprian seemed thrilled to have another workout buddy.
The two years I’d been on T had been very kind to me, deepening my voice and moving my fat and muscle distribution around to give me a more masculine silhouette. I’d never be ripped like Maddox or Cyprian, and honestly I didn’t want to be, but a broader upper body and some lean muscle definition definitely couldn’t hurt. I was pretty happy with the results I’d had so far.
Digging in his duffel bag, Maddox extracted two protein shaker bottles, tossing one over to me. I thanked him before popping the cap up and taking a big swig.
Nearly choking, I barely resisted the urge to spit it out before forcing it down my throat. He was always switching around flavors, and some were much worse than others. Some had a consistency that was what I imagined drinking wallpaper adhesive would feel like.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Maddox,” I complained. “That’s the worst one yet.”
He stared at me without a hint of sympathy as he lifted the bottle to his own mouth, taking several large mouthfuls.
“If you can swallow a load, you can swallow a protein shake,” he informed me bluntly. With his short, preppy haircut and strong jawline, he had a bit of a Zac Efron look going on, although he was constantly claiming not to see the resemblance.
“I guess you’d know all about that nowadays, huh?” I mused. Humans were 60% water, but I had a hunch about what fluid might have made up a good fraction of the other 40% of Maddox’s body.
Cyprian shook his head at us as he drank his own shake, but looked amused at our exchange. A healthy sheen of sweat glimmered in the overhead lights on his dark skin as he shifted, pushing his short dreads up off his forehead.
I wasn’t sure if Cyprian had ever swallowed a load, if I was being honest. He was jacked and handsome, with a great personality, but I’d never actually seen him with anyone, guy or girl. If hewasstraight, then he was the lone cishet in our fun little group of queer misfits. It seemed rude to ask, especially because I’d never felt an ounce of judgment from him towards any of us. Not even Arie, who could be pretty extreme and in your face with his sexuality at times. And I supposed if he wanted any of us to know, then he’d bring it up himself.
Maddox shrugged, tilting his head in acknowledgment, and didn’t look remotely embarrassed by my assertion.
“Don’t act like you’re some saint,” he responded, smirking a bit in my direction.
“Why?” I wondered, but I was grinning too. “What have you heard?”
I never thought I’d be friends with a guy like him, but all the dumb social cliques and stigmas I’d been obsessed with in high school seemed so petty now that we were in college. He was a jock, without question, but I realized now that didn’t really mean much in the scheme of things. Sure, he was a little obsessed with sports and fitness, but this was the guy who’d complimented my top surgery scars and forced himself to play video games with us just to make his nerdy boyfriend happy.
“Ren told me a couple things,” he said.
“What’d he tell you?”
“He told me he walked in on you rearranging some guy’s guts last year,” Maddox said matter-of-factly, and Cyprian coughed out a sputter, setting his bottle down with a thud, a dark blush rushing up to his cheeks.
I gave a haughty sniff, but only shrugged. “Not my fault he didn’t know what a sock on the doorknob meant.”
“I’m just glad my bedroom door has a lock,” Maddox said.
“No one could accidentally walk in on you two,” Cyprian replied with a snort. “They’d have to be deaf.”
“Alright, alright,” Maddox said, rolling his eyes a bit when I barked out a laugh.
“Hey, did Arie tell you about that party next weekend, Cyprian?” I asked, suddenly remembering he hadn’t been around the night before.
“Yeah, he texted me about it,” he confirmed. “I’ll go. Kelani said she’s coming, too.” Kelani was his sister, and a friend of all of ours.
“Cool.”
We chatted a bit more, until all of our attention was pulled to the door to our side, where a pale, slender guy in thick glasses and an argyle sweater walked in. He stuck out like a sore thumb in the sea of athleticwear and sneakers.
“Think he’s here to work out?” Maddox asked, snorting a little as the guy struggled a bit with the stack of folders and papers in his arms.
“That’s the teacher’s assistant for my queer studies class,” I said, realizing it once he got a bit closer. “Isaak Felice.”
He was cute, especially if you were into those endearingly awkward guys with the infectious enthusiasm that bled out when they gushed about their hobbies and interests. Not my type, but definitely somebody’s type.
“Oh yeah?”
