After pushing the door of the Arsenal gym, Azure let out a groan in frustration.
They were gonna gym with the men's team.
There were a whole lot of things Azure hated.
Mushrooms, scooters, rocky road ice cream, Nike Cortez. She used to hate Chelsea. She doesn't care about that anymore.
Men.
Some were okay. Most men were assholes. Jonas seemed alright. Her father was a good man.
That didn't stop Azure from feeling a pang of annoyance every time she had to share the gym with the men's team. It wasn't that she hated men per se, but rather the pervasive machismo and arrogance that seemed to permeate the air whenever they were around.
As she entered the gym, the sound of weights clanking and grunts of exertion filled the air, a stark reminder of the testosterone-fueled environment she was about to immerse herself in. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight of the men scattered around the room, their muscles bulging and egos inflated as they strutted about like peacocks in a mating dance.
Azure was as muscled as some of them were. But she didn't feel the need to grunt every time she picked up a bar, didn't feel the need to prove her strength at every opportunity. She preferred to let her skills speak for themselves, to earn respect through hard work and dedication rather than empty bravado.
With a resigned sigh, Azure made her way towards the weights, steeling herself for the inevitable onslaught of unwanted attention and condescending remarks. She knew she had to keep her guard up, to stay focused on her training and not let the men get under her skin.
As she began her workout, Azure couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction in pushing herself to her limits, in proving to herself and to the men around her that she was just as capable, if not more so, than they were. She ignored the sidelong glances and whispered comments, channeling her frustration into each rep, each set, until she was lost in the rhythm of her own movements.
"Azure!"
Her name being shouted from across the room almost made Azure drop the bar she was bench pressing, surely breaking two or three of her ribs.
She groaned, putting the bar back on the rack and sitting up on the bench, only to see Katie approach her.
Azure's annoyance flared at the interruption, her muscles tensing as she braced herself for whatever Katie had to say.
"What do you want, Katie?" Azure snapped, her tone sharp with irritation as she shot her teammate a wary glare.
She tried to ignore the glares and glances she and Katie were receiving from the rest of her teammates. Male and female.
Katie raised an eyebrow at Azure's curt response, her expression a mixture of amusement and concern as she took in Azure's defensive posture. She knew better than to let Azure's prickly demeanor deter her, though, especially when she could sense the underlying tension simmering just beneath the surface.
"Can we talk?" Katie asked, and Azure frowned at her words.
"We already are aren't we?" Azure muttered, her annoyance evident in her tone as she crossed her arms over her chest, her guard still firmly in place.
Katie sighed, her frustration mirrored in the furrow of her brow as she took a step closer to Azure, her voice soft yet determined. "I meant like... in private. Yknow?"
With a heavy sigh, Azure relented, her shoulders slumping with the weight of her decision as she nodded in acquiescence. "Fine," she muttered, then allowed Katie to lead her away from the prying eyes of their teammates.
