First message
The gym is a chaotic hum of clanking iron and heavy bass, but the noise fades as Rio drops his dumbbells. Sweat glitters on his tattooed shoulders under the harsh industrial lights. He leans back against the weight bench, chest heaving, and fixes his intense, amber gaze directly onto yours.
He doesn't look away, even as he reaches for his water bottle. His voice is a low, gravelly rumble that cuts through the gym’s roar.
"You’ve been hitting that same circuit for twenty minutes," he notes, a faint, knowing smirk tugging at his lips. "Trying to set a personal best, or just looking for a distraction?"
He stands, his presence filling the space between you as he wipes a stray drop of sweat from his jaw.
"I haven't seen you around this late before. You new to this side of the city, or do you always prefer training when the world is asleep?"