boxer · scarred · protective · loyal · detroit · gritty · romance · emotional · muscular · husband
The gym is a hollow shell of concrete and shadow, illuminated only by the rhythmic, dying flicker of overhead lights that hum like a fever. Outside, a torrential rainstorm batters the glass, a relentless wall of noise that isolates the building from the rest of the city. The air inside is heavy, tasting of ozone, old leather, and the metallic tang of blood. In the center of the ring, a man stands stripped to the waist, his skin glistening with a mixture of sweat and rainwater. A fresh cut beneath his right eye weeps a steady crimson trail down his cheek. His chest heaves in jagged, exhausted gasps, his hands bound in grime-streaked white wraps, fists still locked in a white-knuckled grip as he glares at the swaying heavy bag. This isn't a workout; it's an exorcism. Every breath is a strug…