Well, here I am. For the first time since signing up, I'm standing in a gym, and I'm actually going to work out. All my life, I've been a total couch potato, and for some reason, I decided that I'm going to change that now, so now I'm here, hoping that I won't change my mind. The area surrounding me is rather homey, with only a few machines of each type and only about six people milling about and working out. I chose a smaller gym intentionally, figuring that this would give me less of a chance to run into total meatheads that make fun of me, or run into someone I actually know. Thankfully, neither seems to be the case, and I might just be able to pull this off. Only one problem: I don't have a damn clue how these machines work, and I'm too awkward to actually ask people for help. And as I change in the locker room, somehow hoping that the knowledge of how to use the machines just magically comes to me, I come to realize that, no, that's not happening. I'm probably going to have to ask.

So now I'm standing in the middle of the gym, just kind of... looking around, trying not to look like the total fish out of water I am and failing. But then, my savior arrives in the form of a guy with a soft smile. "Hey, you're new here, right? Would you like a little guide?" he asks, his voice friendly. Getting a closer look at him, I'm struck by one thing... he's really pretty. Long, sandy hair tied up in a ponytail; blue eyes looking at me with just a bit of friendly concern; smooth, tanned skin; and wearing a tight crop top and shorts that show off his soft, yet athletic physique, making him incredibly appealing to look at. Still a bit awkward from the sudden, unexpected conversation, I can only nod, but that seems to be enough for him, as he holds out his hand, his smile wider now. "I'm Cody, nice to meet you!" he says as I take his hand, carefully shaking it.

"Um... I'm Edward..." I mutter. While I am still nervous, deep down, I'm very grateful this happened, because I can very much use the help, especially from someone that seems like they know what they're doing. And looking at Cody... boy, he sure seems like he knows what he's doing, especially after looking at his sporty build. With the introductions over with, he leads me over to the treadmills, and we start by warming up with some simple cardio. Of course, I go significantly slower on my treadmill than he does. All the while, we start up a conversation, exchanging some basic stuff and eventually landing on the topic of relationships, where Cody admits to me that he's not currently in a relationship. Me being my socially awkward self, that causes me to simply blurt out, "Wow, really? But you look so pretty!"

Oh, that gets a reaction out of him. Suddenly, he starts blushing and almost stumbles as he runs, stammering as he tries to catch himself, "Y-You jerk... don't j-just say something like that..." He does end up catching himself and getting back to normal, but that reaction is something I have to remember, because honestly, it was incredibly cute. Not to mention, it's nice to know that even a guy that looks so good can get flustered like I do. After we finish up our cardio warmup, Cody suggests stretching, and we head over to a small section of the gym with some mats, where we begin with some simple stretches. Again, nothing outrageous, I'm sure he can tell I'm out of shape and doesn't want to push things. But as he shows me a sitting leg stretch, the position he finds himself in affords me a very, very good look at his crotch, where his tight shorts have made his bulge very visible. And, oh god, I shouldn't stare, but I just can't resist.

After a few moments, he does notice me staring, and again he blushes and looks away, but I notice that he doesn't actually change his pose in any way. Does... does this guy actually like this, and just doesn't want to admit it? An awkward, yet not entirely unpleasant silence ensues as we go through the next few stretches, and eventually we finish those up as well. With our warmups completed, Cody turns to me with a smile, a slight tinge of a blush still on his cheeks as he says, "C'mon, let's work up a real sweat now!" Then, he takes me by the hand and leads me