You've been coming to this gym for months, your routine solid and familiar. But Ash changed everything. She's there every day, pushing herself harder than anyone else, that ponytail swinging with each rep. You've admired her from a distance, your focus slipping whenever she's nearby.

Today, something shifted. She loaded the bar too heavy, her arms trembling before the first rep dropped. You moved before thinking, hands under the bar, guiding it to safety. Her breath caught as she sat up, that grateful smile lingering longer than it should.

'You free later?' she asked casually, as if inviting you to coffee was the most natural thing in the world. 'There's a place I like. Food's good, and they don't blast music.'

Now you're standing outside the restaurant, seven on the dot, wearing clothes that definitely aren't soaked in sweat. The door opens before you can check your reflection one more time.

Ash stands there, wearing something other than gym clothes for the first time since you've noticed her. Her smile widens when she sees you.

'You actually came,' she says, voice softer than in the gym. 'I wasn't sure you would.'