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Atlas Gym; Tuesday [01/02].

The gym was absolutely packed that day, and not just with excess gremlin and raccoons, but other people, although Gladio wasn't even sure where most of them had come from. There definitely weren't that many people on this island and it didn't seem to make much sense to come here all the way from the mainland, but...hey, people had those resolutions to get going! Things would probably calm down and thin out by the end of January, but, at the moment, it seemed everyone was out there full of motivation and with their eyes on the prize.

Gladio tried to be encouraging, though, when he could, because he did want people to stick with their fitness goals, they were good goals to have! But with the amount of people not bothering to whip down equipment or put their weights back, maybe he didn't need to be quite so encouraging to some people.

Atlas is open!

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You know, some people might have been annoyed when they walked into their regular gym to find it packed with wishy-washy resolutionists that weren't clearly as dedicated to fitness beyond some unreasonable expectations for their new year, but Summer was actually feeling kind of stoked to get at least a few more eyes than the usual on her cute workout outfits.

Of course, this opinion was changed all too quickly once she actually started to get to work with some of her weights and almost immediately had a small handful of gym bros trying to critique her form and offer suggestions for how to do it better and acting like she'd never even seen a dumbbell before in her life but good for her for giving it a try!

Gladio, she was so sorry, but one of these gym bros might get a kettleball flung into their junk if they weren't careful.

Nell was rather disconcerted to find all of these random people in the gym, especially the group of ladies in the corner who were pointing and laughing behind their hands at what she was wearing and the one guy who leered at her and suggested she should try working out without her skirts on.

Maybe she should just go do an extra long run instead.

Well, the women were absolutely getting a look of disapproval from Gladio, and if he'd heard what that one guy had said, there was a good chance he'd've been bodily thrown out for good.

As it was, Gladio had been keeping an eye out for Nell, so when he spotted her, he immediately made his way over, and his hand went out gently for her arm. A little bit of comfort, and maybe a little bit of a head's up that he was following it up with a very light, but very pointed, kiss on her forehead.

Followed by a roll of his eyes.

"The New Years crowd," he offered by explanation. "Don't worry, almost all of 'em'll probably clear out before February."

Nell clung to him a little. "I look forward to February," she said quietly. "I like the gym a little less crazy."

"I know," Gladio said, his smile a little apologetic, and, if she was going to cling a little, then he can try and give her a little reassuring squeeze, too. "Gotta admit, though, this is gonna look great for the bottom line. Did you know most gyms make all their money in January, from people signing up for new memberships that they don't even use for the rest of the year? And I'd recommend just coming in a bit later, but I think we're going to get some lunchtime crowds and maybe even some after work ones..."

Which would be even weirder, since there wasn't a very big 9-to-5 corporate scene here on the island, but he wasn't going to question it.

"Then I'm glad they're here," Nell said firmly. "But... maybe I should work on learning how to swim. Doesn't seem like many of these people are here to do that."

She looked around. "I don't even think the island has this many people living here."

After a moment she sighed. "I'm just going to find a quiet corner where people won't stare at me or whisper behind their hands." She looked up at him. "Is it wrong that part of me wants to call that guy out and kick his ass on the mats?"

She wouldn't do it, of course, but it made her smile to think of it.

"I could kick some gremlins out of a training room for you, if you want," Gladio offered, before he had to frown. "But what guy?"

He started to look around, as if he might be able to locate him on that description alone.

"Oh no," Nell said, "I think we should just let the gremlins be. That's all we need is for one of us to get bit and spend the next however long thinking we're teal deer or something."

She shrugged, "Just that guy over there. Likes to run his mouth a little."

Stark wasn't there for any resolutions. Stark was just there because it was Tuesday and this what he did on Tuesdays. He went to the gym to get his gains and he went to the gym to respectfully admire Summer (as if he hadn't done enough of that yesterday).

He hadn't come for the weird commentary from the influx of people though and was at a loss for how to deal with them.

This bunch definitely seemed a lot ruder than he remembered last year's being, so Gladio has his hands full of being the guy in charge around here today,but definitely bot so full that he couldn't manage to get in a greeting and a nod.

"Stark," he said. "Kinda busy today, huh?"

"Where did they all come from?" Stark asked, looking around with a frown.

And when would they leave?

"Hello, Gladio. Happy New Year?" Yes, it came out as a question because, well, the gym had a weird vibe today.

"Mainland, I guess?" Gladio grunted, shaking his head and then shrugging. "Maybe portals? I mean, I guess our new membership deals are pretty good, but still..."

He then gave Stark a big of a crooked grin and nodded. "Happy New Year," he confirmed. "You have a good time celebrating? Probably not too far off to guess you went out with Summer?"

Well, it wasn't even really a guess, technically. Gladio did follow her Instagram.

Someday Stark might have to get his own social media accounts. Someday. Except then he might just develop more of a complex about the word 'situationship.'

"We went to Caritas first," he said, nodding and grinning. "And then moved to the west to have several other midnights. It was a long night but it was a good one. Very good one."

Yesterday morning had also been very good but they didn't need to get into that.

Was 'situationship' better or worse than just Facebook Complicated?

Gladio looked a little confused, for a brief moment, before his understanding clicked into place. "Right," he said, "because of the different time zones, right?" He shook his head a little. "That's kind of a thing I never heard of before coming here...unless I'm actually traveling, it's easy to forget that's even a thing. So that's...." He thought about it a little. "...definitely the one way to get the most out of your New Year's."

They were both confusing to Stark!

"Time zones are confusing," he admitted. "But it was nice to get to have so many midnights. I didn't see you at Caritas. Did you stay home?"

"I did," Gladio confirmed with a nod, and a pleased smile thinking back on it, before he corrected himself. "Well, at Nell's, anyway."

Same difference, really, at this point.

"We just sort of sat under the stars and waited for it to roll around. Lot quieter than your night, but it suited us perfectly."

"Sometimes," Stark said with a soft smile, "home is people instead of places. And...I like quiet. But this was fun. It was a lot, but it was fun."

And going out made Summer happy and Stark liked Summer being happy.

"I do like quiet nights, sometimes."

"'Fun' and 'a lot' seems to be a pretty good description of Summer herself," Gladio pointed out with a snort.

Stark let out a soft huff of laughter. "That's very true. A lot but also sometimes exactly enough."

Like when he needed someone there to help him through nightmares or someone to remind him how to enjoy himself.

"Sometimes I just try my best to keep up."

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Atlas Gym; Tuesday [01/02].

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