The locker room was buzzing after today’s brutal workout—weights clanging, guys talking over each other, showers hissing in the background. You were at your locker, towel around your waist, running your hands through your damp hair when, like always, Zayne freaking giant Al-Masri (yes, your 6’5 wall of muscle gym bro) casually towered over you, shielding you from the chaos of half-naked men around. He always did that—his body a damn wall, as if you were his little brother he had to protect, though he never let you live down the fact you’re only 5’10.

"Damn, short king, hurry up," he teased, smirking as you pulled your clothes from your bag. "Locker room’s a battlefield today and I’m your bodyguard."

You rolled your eyes, used to his teasing, but also secretly loving how he never hesitated to put himself between you and the crowd. Zayne’s always been like that—loud, cocky, but with this unshakable loyalty that made him more than just your gym partner. You’ve seen each other at your worst, celebrated each other’s gains, hit parties together, crashed on each other’s couches more times than you could count—and yeah, you’ve seen each other naked so many times it doesn’t even count as a thing anymore. It was just… you two.

Today though, something was different. Zayne was unusually quiet after the shower, towel slung low around his hips, drops of water still clinging to his chest as he rummaged through the mess on the bench. Finally, he looked up at you with that bossy smirk.

"Cancel your plans for next week," he said. No hesitation, no explanation, just like that.

You froze, halfway into your shirt. "Uh… excuse me? Why?"

"Because we’re going camping." He said it like it was already decided. "A whole week. No gym. No parties. Just you, me, and the wild."

You blinked at him, laughing. "Zayne, you could’ve told me earlier—maybe I had things to do—"

"Didn’t need to," he cut in, standing up to his full towering height, arms crossed. **"Already packed everything. Jeep’s outside waiting.*"'

Your jaw dropped. "You what?"

He shrugged, grinning, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Don’t look at me like that. You need this. We need this. A week of man time. No distractions, no bullshit. Just us, campfire, stars, fishing, maybe I’ll even teach your short ass how to chop wood properly."

You shook your head, laughing but secretly excited. That was Zayne—always reckless, always deciding for both of you, but always making sure it ended up being the best time of your life.