Hiro's phone chimes with a new notification in his pocket. He can feel the buzz of the device on his thigh through the thin fabric of his sweatpants. The sound is high-pitched and almost drowned out by the bustle of the gym. The metallic clatter and the music from the speakers mingle with the sounds of others. Quiet conversations and grunts reach his ears, but his attention is elsewhere. Each ragged breath he takes makes his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. He focuses on his grip, feeling the cool metal press into his palms, grounding him to the bench. He stares at the white ceiling above him. The bright lights irritate his eyes, though he is used to it by now. His muscles are taut and rigid as he holds his arms in mid-air. His fingers tighten further around the metal bar, causing the veins to bulge under his skin.
"Need help?" his friend asks above him, standing a few inches away to catch the barbell if needed. He reaches out slightly but does nothing more without Hiro's permission.
"I'm fine," Hiro replies with a deep breath. His chest expands, and he spreads his legs a little to brace himself more securely. Sweat glistens on his temple and his hair clings to his forehead in damp strands.
After three more lifts, he pushes the weights higher with a low grunt to put the weights back on the rack. His muscles strain with the effort. The tension in his arms eases, and he lets his palms fall back onto his chest with a relieved sigh.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," Hiro hums, nodding and trying to catch his breath. "Thanks."
When the man leaves to do his own thing, Hiro remains lying on the bench for a few seconds, letting the burn of his muscles gradually subside before pulling himself into a sitting position. He grabs his towel from the ground in the process, dabbing it over his face and neck to wipe away the sweat while stretching his neck to relax the tension in his body.
His gaze sweeps the room, checking to see if anyone is waiting for his spot. The gym is in full swing around him. It's loud and busy. It's no surprise that Hiro prefers coming here early in the morning when it's quieter and less crowded. However, his approaching rut makes it increasingly difficult for him to leave his home, crawling at the back of his mind.
The LED lights cast a vibrant glow across the space, gleaming on the rows of equipment. The treadmills, all new and shiny, hum steadily, their rhythmic whirring blending seamlessly with the clanking of weights being lifted and dropped nearby. The tall walls are covered with mirrors, doubling the brightness and amplifying the sense of space. People gaze intently at their own reflections, focusing on their forms and movements.
Hiro glances at his own reflection, too. He sits on the bench, hunched and breathing heavily. His shirt clings to his body like a second skin. Sweat glistens on his forehead, his hair is damp.
Fishing his phone out of his pocket, Hiro unlocks the screen to find a new message notification from Charm. Charm is a dating app designed to help humans and monsters connect with each other. Right now, it is supposed to help the wolf-shifter find a partner for his upcoming rut. So far, he hasn't had much success with it, though.
Most of his matches are either too horny or overly fixated on the idea of having sex with a wolf-shifter for a whole week. Their fetishizing is weird and concerning. On the other end of the spectrum, some matches seem to be looking for something far more than he is willing to give; dates, flowers, and constant text messages. It isn't what he's looking for right now. He isn't in search of a girlfriend; he just wants someone who can be his partner for a week, helping and having fun without being too perverted or too serious about it.
He taps on the small icon to open the message with a bit of frustration swelling in his chest. A large part of him has already given up on finding someone online. He read through countless profiles and chatted with numerous matches, but none of them met his needs. It's not like he has high expectations. Don't be a pervert, and don't imagine a family and a happily ever after a few texts. Why is it so hard? It shouldn't be.
The gym's noise fades into the background as he focuses on the screen, but whatever hope he had a moment ago vanishes quickly. The woman on the other end of the chat ghosted him once, almost two weeks ago.
His thumb hovers above the keyboard, undecided if he should write back or leave it as it is. A 'Hi' can't hurt, but to be honest, he is not in the mood to get to know her better. Or at least enough to spend a week with her. And what if she stops responding again? Wasted time and energy. With his approaching rut, he can't afford any of it.
"Hiro?" A soft voice pulls him out of his thoughts.
"Hm?" he hums, needing a second to get back to reality. "Yes?"
"Are you okay?" you ask with a gentle smile, still watching him worriedly.
"Oh," he gasps, jumping up from the bench. The wolf-shifter isn't sure how long he sat there, but it seems like it was enough time to make you concerned. "I'm fine."
"I can bring you some water if you need it," you offer, still not believing him.
"You are sweet." You really are. "But I'm fine. Thank you."
Your gaze rakes over the tall wolf-shifter once again for an entirely different reason than making sure he doesn't need your help. Your eyes linger on the width of his shoulders and the hard cords of his muscles underneath the white t-shirt he wears. The thin fabric clings to his body with sweat.
Of course, the wandering of your eyes doesn't escape Hiro's attention. A smug smirk pulls on the corner of his lips, but he tries to suppress it when you look up at his face again.
"Fine, then," you tell him. "You know where to find me if you need me."
-
With his rut around the corner, Hiro finds it more and more difficult to leave his home. The only reason he is willing to go to the gym is because his small apartment in the middle of Meriad doesn't give him enough space to drain the energy that buzzes under his skin, deep within his tense muscles. He needs something to do so he doesn't go insane, especially since his every attempt to find someone on Charm hits walls and barriers. Every suitable match lives far away from the city, or can't take time off from work. The others... well, the others are still too serious or too bizarre for his taste.
So his frustration just grows and grows with each passing failed match and chat that leads nowhere.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with going through a rut or heat without a partner, but it definitely makes it easier. The wolf-shifter wishes for something more than the solitude of his apartment and the company of his hand.
When Hiro visits the gym again late at night, he is already sweaty. A part of him wants to turn around and leave the moment he steps through the entrance, but he knows if he doesn't tire himself out, he will pace up and down in his flat all night.
The wide glass door barely falls shut, and your voice immediately reaches his ears.
"Hiro," you smile at him. Your lips glint with light pink lipstick. "It's good to see you."
"I didn't think you would be here," the wolf-shifter says, approaching the reception. Your presence is a pleasant surprise.
You shrug. "They pay double for nightshifts."
His gaze swipes over the gym behind you with silvery, gleaming equipment. The music is quiet, and he can see the matching video clip on the screen hanging from the wall at the back. The place is almost empty, with a few orcs at the weights, doing their own thing without a word.
As if you read his thoughts, you shrug again with a smile when he looks at you. "It's still early for our nightly members."
