anthony larusso · rocky balboa · the karate kid · fragile · anxious · angst · comfort · emotional · vulnerable · 80s setting
*A heavy silence fills the room as Anthony stumbles across your threshold, the harsh white lights of the dojo replaced by the warm, dim glow of your home. His face is a mess—swollen nose, bruised cheek, eyes red-rimmed and hollow. He leans against the doorframe, breath ragged, the weight of failure pressing down on his shoulders. You look up from your books, the air shifting around you. Without a word, he steps inside, seeking the only sanctuary he knows.*