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This story was written as a 1000 word Flash Fiction for Serling. It contains exercise related cuteness and implied lewdness between consenting adults. ^^

Encouraging Attendance

Dylan looked around nervously as he stepped out of the locker room and into the gym itself. He hoped the stories were just that, stories from a few people who had been unfortunate enough to have bad experiences. Looking down at his undeniable gut, at the slight rise of his chest within the t-shirt he was wearing, the polar bear sighed. He wanted to get fit. To get healthier. That was why he was here. But... the idea of all these already fit and healthy people seeing him, judging him, mocking him for his weight and his lack of experience with even the most basic gym equipment... it was enough to almost make him turn around and walk out again right then and there.

Almost.

He stepped forward, out into view of the main gym complex. There were glass partitions between several areas, and solid walls between others, but the sounds of people talking, of grunts of effort, of the whirring and rumbling and rattling of machines and weights and other such devices filled the whole thing with a gentle buzz of activity. He could smell sweat in the air, and feel a cool breeze from the air conditioning. Right now it was perhaps a little too cool, but he imagined that once he got his blood pumping a little faster, that wouldn't be so much of an issue.

The polar bear wandered nervously between mats and benches, past a row of exercise bikes and another of cross-trainers, past yet more apparatus of which he was ashamed to say he didn't even know the name, seeing several people occupying and making use of them even at this point relatively early in the morning. Eventually he made it to his goal. The treadmills.

Stepping up onto one of them, he looked nervously around in search of an instruction booklet or even a small slip of laminated card to tell him how to work it. Nothing. He groaned in dismay, and was about to step off again, about to begin the humiliating walk to find a member of staff, when a hand landed beside his upon the treadmill's railing.

"Need a hand?"

The voice was deep but soft, and as Dylan looked up, his eyes widened. Another polar bear stood before him. Leaner, obviously more fit than him. Dressed in a pair of shorts more tight fitting than his own to show off strong thighs, and a sports bra type top that kept her rather firm chest flat and amplified the effect of her furred but obviously washboard strong stomach.

"I... y-yeah. Thanks. It's my first day. Never used one of these things before."

The woman smiled in warm understanding. There was no condescension in that look. No frustration at his total lack of experience. Indeed, she seemed to know exactly what he was feeling just by looking at him.

"I was the same. Just take it slowly. Learn and explore the equipment at your own pace and as you feel comfortable. Don't strain yourself and end up getting hurt, and for sure don't burn yourself out and make yourself hate this place. Otherwise you'll just become one of those people who has a gym membership and is too embarrassed to cancel it."

Dylan chuckled.

"I don't want that. Not with how much a gym membership costs."

The other polar bear laughed back.

"I hear that. Now... how about we get you started. Just a walk at first. We can move you up to a jog if you're more comfortable later on, but let's not start out too strenuous."

As she leaned over to begin tapping at the treadmill's control panel, instructing Dylan on how to get the machine started, her free hand landed upon his. It seemed by chance, at least to begin with, but she didn't move it. Indeed her fingers grazed gently back and forth across the male's own, and he too made no effort to pull away, not wanting to seem like he wasn't comfortable with her presence. Soon the plump male felt the floor beneath him begin to move, and he began to walk to keep pace with it. To his surprise, the other bear took up position on the treadmill right next to his, and she began to jog as he walked.

They talked. They learned about each other over the course of a thirty minute walk which became an hour, then two. Dylan learned her name. Maria. And he learned countless other things about her, each and every one of them making this lady seem more and more amazing not just in terms of her fitness and resolve to be healthy, but overall. She was funny as hell. She was kind and sweet. And though Dylan's heart was warmed by the idea of becoming friends with this woman, he couldn't shake the slight tingle of her fingertips brushing against his.

After those first couple of hours, interspersed with short breaks for water, they took a longer rest. They sat down in one of the gym's attached areas which sold juices and protein rich lunches, and over a fresh bottle of water each they spoke more. Maria's laughter rang out around the room, and the more Dylan made her smile and giggle, the more he found himself grinning too.

When they returned to the treadmills for a second session, Maria set Dylan's machine to a slow jog rather than a walk this time round. At first he kept pace well, but after just ten minutes he was sweating, short of breath, struggling to find the motivation to keep going, rather than simply lowering the difficulty back to a walking pace.

That was when he realised Maria had abandoned her own treadmill once more, and was standing by his side instead. When she recognised he was aware of her presence again, she smiled her smile. She reached out a hand, and placed it over his where it rested upon the treadmill's rail.

"You can do it."

He grunted. His body was exhausted by this renewed and enhanced effort, far more so than by walking. He wanted to succeed. For himself, for his own fitness' sake, never mind because she wanted him to as well. But...

"C'mon. Just a little more. Five minutes more. And if you do... when we're done here, we can enjoy some more strenuous cardio together."

Dylan's eyes widened.

He stared at Maria, the other polar bear blushing, but not averting her gaze as it burned hungrily into his own.

Taking a deep, ragged breath, Dylan forced himself to continue. With his new friend's hand upon his he kept on jogging for those extra five minutes. And then... when it was all over at last... he felt the treadmill slowing, shutting off at Maria's request.

He felt her hand lifting his, pulling him away from the machine, guiding him off the treadmill and away from the gym's equipment entirely.

Despite that fact though, Dylan suspected that the most vigorous exercise of the day was yet to come. And boy, was he ever right.

By Jeeves

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