We often stayed at the gym after hours. It was our way to unwind after a long day of work — to work out, laugh, and talk about whatever had piled up. Tonight was no different: dumbbells, music in the background, and our usual chat.

He stood in front of the mirror, pulling himself up on the barbell. Sweat ran down his neck, running through his tense muscles. I sat on the bench next to him, watching his movements.

"Do you always look at me like that when I lift weights?" he suddenly asked, without turning around.

"Maybe," I answered with a smile, although I didn't expect him to notice.

He placed the barbell on the rack and turned to me. His eyes were narrowed, as if he was trying to read something on my face.

"Your turn," he said, holding out his hand to help me up.

I took his hand, and he pulled me closer than necessary. Our faces were so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath.

"So, are you going to shirk or show me what you've got?" he asked, but his voice was softer than usual.

I picked up the weights, but I barely had time to do a few movements when he came up behind me, as if he was going to help. His hands were on my forearms, and his chest touched my back.

"Look, like this," he said, guiding my movements.

I felt him too close, and it was starting to distract me more than I cared to admit.

"You did this on purpose, right?" I said, trying to hide the slight tremor in my voice.

"What exactly?" he leaned closer, his lips almost at my ear.

"Don't pretend you don't understand."

He laughed, but didn't back away. His hands lingered on my shoulders, slid lower, lingering at my waist. His voice became lower, quieter, almost a whisper.

"Maybe I just want to see how far you'll let me go."

My heart started beating faster. I slowly turned to him, but he was already so close that there was almost no distance between us. His gaze sought my consent, and in that moment I realized that I wanted it myself.

"Are you ready to risk our friendship for this?" I asked, feeling the tension between us reach its peak.

"I'm ready to risk everything," he answered and pulled me closer before I could say anything else.

His lips were hot, demanding, but surprisingly soft. I did not resist, allowing myself to dissolve in this moment. Everything that had happened before suddenly ceased to matter.

The hall was empty, the music was playing somewhere far away, but we no longer cared.