Gym Buddy

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! This story is one that has been in my head for a while, and I finally decided to try putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard in this case). This story does read a bit differently than my other stories, though, as it is not a first person POV, but rather a pseudo-mix between third person limited and third person omniscient. Mostly, the story is in the third person, following Sebastian, but there are a few times when the story's third-person focus actually switches over to Hailey for a short amount of time. Sorry if that ends up being a little bit confusing, but it was how the story presented itself in my mind, with very small and brief flashes to Hailey's POV.

Content Warnings

Depression

Self-loathing

Obesity

Minor Thoughts of Self-Harm

Erotic Content

Masturbation (male and female)

Spying

Exhibitionism

Fellatio

Gradual Seduction

The sweat in the air was thick enough to drown in, and more of it poured from Sebastian's forehead. Wiping strands of sticky black hair from his face with the sleeve of his shirt proved fruitless- it had already been soaked through with previous attempts. He could tell that everyone was staring at him- a fat guy in a gym always tended to get attention. Especially one panting like a horse and leaving a trail of perspiration down the indoor running track. What was the point? All this was accomplishing was getting him humiliated in public. He shouldn't have come here, it was stupid to even suggest such an idea-

"That's it Sebby! Just one more lap!"

A confident, soothing voice broke the monotonous sound of Sebastian's ragged breaths, like a chirping bird amidst a windstorm. Sebastian looked up with pleading brown eyes towards the sound, locking them with Hailey.

She stood about fifteen feet ahead, near the white line that marked the 'start' of the track. Her chestnut-brown hair contrasted sharply against her piercing blue irises, and was tied back in a tight ponytail that reached just above her shoulders. Her face was angular, a perfect fit for a model, but still retained some impish, youthful quality that betrayed her age. She was just barely younger than Sebastian at twenty-four, but could easily pass for nineteen.

A sleeveless jersey to some basketball team Sebastian had never heard of hung loosely on her body, and the pair of form-fitting gym shorts she wore revealed an unfair amount of her toned, shapely, lightly-tanned legs. She was slender but muscular, with a body built for a professional swimmer... which she was. And a volleyball player. And a surfer.

Sebastian, however, couldn't even try to appreciate it due to the sweat stinging his eyes and rendering his vision completely blurred. Every muscle in his legs ached with agony, and he could feel his heart beat pounding away like a jackhammer, the sound almost managing to drown out his pathetic wheezes as he wobbled to the white line.

"Come on! You're almost done, just one more!" Hailey's optimism was muffled, as if he were listening through a wad of cotton. It was just too much, and Sebastian slowed down to a halt on the white line.

"Sebby, please! One more, for me?"

Sebastian could barely even hear her as he bent over to brace his hands on his pale knees. Gasping like he was drowning, Sebastian turned all of his focus to not throwing up. Hailey's black-and-red sneakers slid into view from the corner of his eyes as she stepped closer. Her voice had shifted from one of encouragement, and now held a tone of sincerity.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I-I can't..." Sebastian was cut off by a string of violent coughs. "I can't do this."

Sebastian felt Hailey lay one of her hands on his back and gently rub it, apparently not caring that the fabric of his shirt was darkened with perspiration.

"Yes, you can. You're doing great!"

"I feel like I'm gonna puke."

"It'll pass, trust me. Here, have some water."

Hailey's hand reached into Sebastian's sightline holding a metal water bottle, top already open. Sebastian slowly pushed off of his knees to straighten himself back to a standing position and gratefully took the bottle. The liquid was shockingly cold, almost painful as it flowed freely down Sebastian's throat in several large gulps. Ice cubes clanked against the inside of the metal as he chugged, letting the frigid water wash away the dryness that scratched less and less with each swallow.

"Woah, slow down there. It's not healthy to drink that fast."

Draining the last remaining liquid from the bottle, Sebastian gasped, taking long, deep breaths- the first in a while that weren't agony. "It's also not healthy to have a heart attack, but I was definitely going to have one if I tried running another lap."

Hailey chuckled, her smile revealing a set of pearly whites that gleamed with the same sparkle in her eyes. She looked up at Sebastian as he looked down, almost a foot taller than she was. However, Hailey was not a small girl- in fact she was exactly average. Sebastian was the outlier, standing several inches above most other guys and thus towering over his friend.

"If that's the case..." Hailey began. "Then I'll mark that down as your starting point for running."

She walked a few steps over to where she had been standing before, reaching down into an old, weathered gym bag. As she searched, her oversized jersey hung away from her torso, clearly revealing her simple black sports bra that excellently hid her modest breasts. A few moments later, she finally procured her phone, brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear, and spoke while she typed.

"Running, two laps, 200 meters. Alright, let's rest for a bit and then we'll do pushups next."

Sebastian's heart crept into his throat as if seeking cover. "You're trying to kill me."

Hailey giggled and looked up from her phone for a moment.

"No, I'm just getting some measurements. If you are going to start exercising, we need to find out what your limits are, so we can build a proper plan for you. To find your limits though, you need to reach them."

"And we need to do that today? There are like twenty exercises on that list!"

"Don't worry, Sebby. We aren't going to do everything on this list today. We are going to use the entire week to find out your maximums, and then start a proper routine next week."

Sebastian looked around as Hailey kept talking. The gym wasn't packed, but there were more than a handful of other people that were in the process of using various equipment nearby. Sebastian could never catch them, but he felt their stares on the back of his neck. Silently mocking. Judging. Disgusted.

"Now even though you don't have a history of exercise, some of your limits are definitely going to be higher than mine, since you are so tall and broad. Six four?"

"Six five." Sebastian corrected, turning his attention back to Hailey, who was typing away on the phone.

"Six five..." Hailey repeated under her breath as she noted it down. "Yeah, all of your strength limits are definitely going to be higher. Bench press, curling, and especially leg press. Having to carry around four hundred-ish pounds is definitely going to-"

Sebastian shrivelled into himself like a turtle trying to retract into its shell. Why did she have to say the weight out loud? She must have seen his movement from the corner of her eye, since she looked up, concerned.

"Everything alright?"

Sebastian didn't speak, keeping his head tucked low and instead letting his gaze flit around to the other nearby gym members. They weren't looking, but they definitely heard. They had to have heard. Hailey followed his gaze, and her face deepened into a soft frown as she stepped forward towards Sebastian.

"Hey, it's fine. Nobody here cares. So you're a bit on the heavier side. So you're new to this. What difference does that make?"

Sebastian chose not to respond. Hailey took another step closer back into his vision and looked up at him.

"Nobody is judging you."

"They're staring."

"I haven't seen anyone stare. And even if they did, what would they see?"

"A fat guy who doesn't belong?" Sebastian suggested meekly.

Hailey narrowed her eyes. "A person working to better themselves."

"They're probably taking bets as to when I quit."

"So prove them wrong."

Sebastian managed a small smile, caused less by Hailey's words, but rather by her determination to cheer him up. He didn't deserve a friend like her, yet for some reason she was standing there. Seeing Sebastian's face do something other than frown, Hailey also broke into a grin.

"Now come on, let's do some pushups."

As expected, when Sebastian and Hailey finally stepped out of Hailey's car, climbed up three flights of stairs, and arrived at their apartment, Sebastian was so exhausted that he practically collapsed onto the couch with his feet dangling way off the edge. He groaned at the satisfaction of finally being able to rest and allow his aching muscles to relax. They may have only been at the gym for an hour, but his body felt like it was there for ten.

"Oh, come on you big baby, it's not that bad."

"Easy for you to say..." Sebastian grumbled into the armrest, his voice muffled by upholstery.

"Mind moving your legs so I can sit down too?"

Sebastian gave no response.

"Huh. Well, suit yourself."

Hailey scoffed and Sebastian felt a sudden weight on the back of his thighs as Hailey apparently decided to take a seat anyway. Hailey was quite fit, so her weight was not in any way uncomfortable. If anything, the pressure was soothing on his aching flesh.

"Hey dummy, I think you're laying on the remote."

Sebastian let out an exaggerated groan as he reached an arm under his chest to grab the remote that had been poking into his sternum. Almost as soon as it was free, Hailey snatched it, then gave a mockery of disgust.

"You just had to get it all sweaty, did you?"

"It was in my way."

"Hmph." Sebastian felt Hailey relax on his thighs, leaning back into the couch. Sebastian's eyes were closed, but the sound of the TV turning on still clearly reached him.

"I'm going to watch some Breaking Bad."

"Fine by me." He mumbled.

There were a few moments of silence, aside from the low volume of the TV switching over to Netflix. Sebastian hoped the conversation was done, but was sadly disappointed when Hailey gently rested a hand on his back and patted it lightly.

"You did good today."

"Yeah, right."

"No, I'm serious, Sebby. You did fine. Even if your results aren't that great now, that is what it's supposed to be like. Everyone starts off low, but you will only improve as we continue. What matters is that you put in the work and tried your hardest, and that is why I am saying you did good."

Hailey's words were saying one thing, but all Sebastian could hear was another.

Pity.

The kind of pitiful encouragement given to a child that lost every competition at a school event. A participation trophy. A pointless ribbon that does nothing but tell someone that they will never be as good as everyone else.

Sebby silently started moving his legs off the couch, unceremoniously dumping Hailey into her seat. She laughed for a moment before seeing that Sebby was not simply readjusting to sit properly, but instead starting to stand up altogether.

"Where 'ya going?" She asked, curiously.

"My room."

Hailey frowned. "You don't wanna watch with me?"

"I'm going to bed."

"It's not even noon yet!"

Sebby gave no response, lumbering painfully down the small hallway of their apartment towards the closed door of his room.

"You should at least shower first! It will make you feel better!" Hailey called out again, getting yet another lack of a response. Instead, she looked over the back of the couch to see the burly, rounded form of Sebby open the door and close it behind him, fully hiding him within his personal space.

Hailey frowned, absent-mindedly reaching down to rub her right wrist and thumb the ragged bracelet. Five small, weathered, off-white beads hung on a line of yellowed string held together by tape. Each bead used to have black ink on it, but that had long since rubbed off, leaving only the indentation of what the letters used to be.

H A L E E

"Good night." Hailey mumbled to herself.

Down the hall, in his room, Sebastian laid down on the bed, still fully clothed. He kicked off his shoes, but left it at that. Did he want to put on something more comfortable, like pajama pants? Sure. Did he want to go through the effort of changing?

Sebastian sighed. Not really.

He was exhausted, yes, but not tired, so he knew that he wouldn't get to sleep easily. He could pass the time doing something, like reading one of the books on his shelf, playing on his laptop, or even just jerking off, but didn't really want to. Instead, he was stuck lying there, staring at the ceiling. He felt like doing something, but didn't want to do anything.

Their apartment was on the fourth floor- would that be high enough if he jumped? Not likely, but it wouldn't matter because his fat ass wouldn't fit through the window anyway. A noose? He didn't have any rope, and even if he went and got some, he had nowhere to hang it that would support his weight and not collapse. He could fall into the cardboard compactor at work tomorrow, but the machine is slow, so it would probably be painful, and he would have to hope that nobody was nearby to stop it.

But what about Hailey? She would be better off with a new best friend, that much was for sure, but she would also be sad for a while. He could picture a police officer at the door and Hailey weeping on the couch, tears streaming from ugly, snot-ridden sobs. Not to mention, she would have to find some other way to pay the other half of the rent.

Sebastian sighed.

He couldn't do that to her. Just the thought of her left in a situation like that put a pain in his chest. She didn't deserve that, as much as he didn't deserve her. All he did was drag her down, wasting her time with his petty problems. She insisted that she wanted to help him lose weight, but he knew she was just trying to be nice, and would much rather use her time for things she actually wants to do.

Sebastian rolled over to face the wall and closed his eyes. Hailey was all that mattered, and he wasn't good enough.

Two Days Later

"Zero." Sebastian claimed.

"Come on, you haven't even tried yet!" Hailey pleaded.

"Because I already know the answer. None."

Hailey looked at the pull-up bar, then back at Sebastian with a smirk. She was wearing the same outfit from their last visit to the gym, except the jersey now belonged to a baseball team. "I don't think so. Actually, I bet that you can do at least two."

"Two whole pull-ups. Big whoop, assuming my fat ass doesn't break the bar."

Hailey's grin faded into a frown. "Stop that."

"What?"

"All the self insults and negative comments. The shit you have been saying for the last three days."

Sebastian scowled. "You mean the truth?"

"Sebby! Don't be that way! That is absolutely not the truth!"

"It is the truth, and you want to know something else that's true? You could put down a zero in each of your little tests you have written down, and it would still be overestimating me! This was a stupid suggestion for me to make, asking if I could come to the gym with you. I'm wasting your time, and you deserve better!"

"Sebastian..." Hailey began. He looked into her eyes, and his heart tore in two. He didn't need the tears welling up in the edges to know that she was hurt. Her voice was barely a whisper, cracking with light sobs

"Please, please don't talk about yourself like that. You are so much better than you give yourself credit for."

"No, I'm no-"

Sebastian was interrupted by a loud 'crack' of skin on skin as Hailey slapped him across the cheek, hard. Hailey then firmly grabbed the sides of his face and forced him to stare directly back into her eyes.

"Sebastian! Stop it! You are not wasting my time! I am not here because you asked me to help you, I am here because I want to help you. I want you to be who you want to be, and if that involves losing weight, then I will gladly help. You say I deserve better? Then be better. You are my best friend, and have been for almost twenty years. Do you understand? I will not give up on you, and I will not let you give up on yourself!"

Sebastian was stunned. The side of his face still stung, but the only thing he could focus on was the pain in Hailey's eyes.

"Do you understand?" She squeezed his head, pulling him slightly lower into a hunch. Sebastian could only nod. Hailey released her grip and used her hands to wipe away some tears as she sniffled.

"Good. Now do a fucking pull-up."

Sebastian awkwardly stepped underneath the bar. He didn't have to reach up far to grasp onto the padded metal, meaning that he had to squat and lower himself until he was hanging with his knees only about half a foot from the ground. Immediately the weight digging into his palms was noticeable, but he tightened his grip and managed to hold on, dangling. He looked towards Hailey, who stared back with determination. Sebastian gritted his teeth and pulled as hard as he could, feeling the tendons in his arms strain. He lifted a few inches, enough to be noticeable, but nowhere near a full pull-up. Sebastian held for several moments, desperation forming sweat on his brow as he struggled, but eventually his arms laxed, grip loosened, and his knees landed hard on the rubber floor.

Sebastian was almost ready to cry. Hailey had put so much faith in him, and yet he let her down. Again.

"Told you I couldn't do a pull-up."

Hailey appeared in front of him, a soft, warm smile curling her lips in a way that almost made Sebastian want to smile back as an instinct. With him on his knees, she was now taller than him by a few inches, making him look up at her.

"But that was far from zero, Sebby. You will get a zero only if you choose to get a zero."

As Sebastian stared into Hailey's eyes, he could see something he had never seen before. It wasn't confidence. It wasn't sadness. Was it pride? Possibly, but there was something deeper about it, something that caused her irises to glitter like sapphires. Hailey patted him on the shoulder and stepped away.

"Now, let's go do some leg presses. I have a feeling you are going to be a lot better than you thought at this."

Sebastian stood up and followed Hailey as she stepped in between several machines to get to the far wall, where a row of devices sat. They had a single chair that was leaned way back, and a large platform where one's feet would be, attached to rails extending upwards.

"This is a sled leg press, you sit here and put your feet up against the platform like this..."

Hailey hopped into the seat to demonstrate, bending her knees sharply to place the bottoms of her shoes steadily on the pad.

Woah.

From where Sebastian was standing in front of and slightly to the side of the machine, Hailey's sitting position with her legs up highly, highly accentuated the curves of her rear end, pointed almost directly at him. Her shorts clung tightly to her skin, even more so in this position, clearly displaying the small valley that rested between her thighs.

"Are you listening, or are you going to keep admiring?" Hailey chirped, wearing a knowing smile. Sebastian's face reddened.

"Uhh, yeah. I mean- yeah, I'm listening."

Did she just wiggle her ass? No, surely not.

"So when you're in this position, you hold onto the grips down here to make sure you stay in place, and then straighten your legs."

Hailey did as she said, easily pushing back the platform along the rails. Sebastian managed to tear his mind back into focus and took mental notes of everything, Thankfully, it was very simple.