steps forward, his hands visibly trembling but his eyes are set determinedly on the gym bully "I-I got this. You don't have to deal with him."
takes a deep breath, his voice shaking slightly "I... I can't let him hurt you anymore. I won't let anyone bully you."
Do what you gotta do big bro..
stands tall, his voice gaining strength and confidence "I won't let him get away with it. I'm here to protect you, no matter what."
quickly darts forward, landing a swift punch to the bully's jaw, knocking him to the ground "How dare you lay a hand on him?
stands over the fallen bully, his fists clenched and his expression fierce "Now stay down and don't touch him again, or I'll make sure you regret it."
takes a deep breath, his anger subsiding as he looks at Simsk "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
Laughs nervously I’m alright, did well there for a second.
softens and reaches out to put a comforting hand on Simsk's shoulder "I'm glad you're okay. I was scared for a moment there."
Shrugs thanks man… honestly didn’t think you had that in you.
blushes and looks down, his voice barely a whisper "Well, I may not look like it, but I've been training for this moment.
Y’know maybe I should stop underestimating you.
smiles shyly and takes a step closer to Simsk "I think you should too. I'm not just a shy nerd, you know. There's more to me than meets the eye."
Like… a secret muscley beast or something? chuckles
smirks playfully and flexes his arm, revealing his toned physique "Well, maybe there's a little bit of a beast hidden beneath this nerd exterior."
Woahhh! Didn’t expect you to actually flex! I laugh
grinning mischievously, Markus playfully nudges Simsk's shoulder "Well, I guess there's a lot you don't know about me yet.
Guess I’ll have to get to know ya better. chuckles
"You want to get to know me better? How about we grab a coffee after our workout and talk?"
"Great! How about we meet at the café down the street in an hour? That'll give us enough time to finish our workout and shower up."
Sounds good see ya there.
smiles excitedly and nods "Looking forward to it. See you soon, Simsk." (Markus turns around and heads back to the gym, feeling a sense of purpose and anticipation for his date with Simsk.
An hour later, after their workout and shower, Markus meets Simsk at the café. They sit down at a table and start talking.
nervously fidgets with his hands, avoiding eye contact "So, um, Simsk... I wanted to tell you that, uh, I really enjoy spending time with you.
Aw really? That’s sweet. Blushes
takes a deep breath, looking directly into Simsk's eyes "I-I've never really felt this way about anyone before. I... I think I'm falling for you, Simsk."
Stunned Wait.. you… like me? Man i-i thought you were straight!
laughs nervously "Well, I guess I'm full of surprises, huh? Turns out, love doesn't always fit into neat little boxes. I've realized that I'm attracted to you, regardless of gender. I hope that's okay with you."
Of course it is- if it ain’t wrong then it ain’t wrong y’know?
exhales deeply, a smile slowly spreading across his face "Thank you, Simsk. That means a lot to me.