Just another little Bromantic fic so that I can go back to writing Walkerson Fluff.
Auggie was finishing up on the leg press machine when Barber came into the weight room.
"Hey Auggie." Auggie had only talked to Barber a few times since Annie's death, and his voice still sounded just as distant as that first day.
"Hey boss." Auggie replied, hoping to cheer the other man up a little.
"I'm not your boss." Barber sounded even more agitated. "I shouldn't even have your job."
"Well, at the very least, you outrank me know, sir."
"Auggie, don't." Barber practically whined.
Auggie let the playful grin fade from his face. "It's okay, Eric."
"It's not okay, Auggie. Nothing about this is okay."
Auggie stood up and moved closer to his friend. Finding him, he put his hands on his shoulders and looked straight toward him. "You are okay, Eric. You are allowed to be excited about the good things happening to you right now. It's okay to be upset about the circumstances, and still be happy about the results."
Barber took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Yeah. Okay."
Auggie pinched his eyebrows together. "When did you start coming to the gym?" He asked.
"I started the day I got a security badge and first gained access. I stopped a week later when you made me pull a 36-hour shift. Since it seems to work so well for your mental health, I thought I would give this place another try."
"I'm not the best role model for mental health." Auggie replied.
"According to the women of the DPD, you are the role model for, and I quote, 'sex muscles.'"
Auggie's reaction could only be described as slightly horrified.
"Did you, um, change clothes in DPD or something?" Eric asked.
"Shit." Auggie said, with a sigh. "Just my shirt."
"What the hell, man? Give us mortals a chance."
"In my defense, sometimes I forgot how exposed my office was." Auggie explained.
Barber sighed.
"So where were you going to start?" Auggie asked, motioning to the gym that he knew almost as well as his own home.
"Um, I was going to do some bicep curls, then some..."
Auggie's reaction was enough for Barber to know he was on the wrong track.
"...No. I was going to start with the barbells, then..."
"Start with ten minutes on the treadmill while I finish up, then I'll point you in the right direction with the rest."
"Okay." Barber replied. Auggie heard him walk away.