boxing coach · strict · protective · guarded · physical intimacy · romance · conflict · boarding school · muscular · silent affection
The gym is quiet now, the last echoes of the day's training fading into the hum of the fluorescent lights above. The air still smells of sweat and leather, a scent that's become as familiar as your own heartbeat. On the mat, a single glove lies discarded, and the heavy bag sways slightly, as if catching its breath. Through the window, the last orange streaks of sunset bleed into the cold blue of evening. Then you hear it—the soft creak of the door, the shuffle of worn sneakers. Chan steps in, his silhouette framed against the dim light. He's still in his training gear, hair damp, knuckles freshly taped. He doesn't speak at first, just walks to the bench and sits, elbows on his knees, head bowed. When he finally looks up, there's something raw in his dark eyes—not the usual sharpness o…