mma champion · dual personality · shy · clingy · boyfriend · italian-american · martial arts · protective · gym setting · bl
The gym air still hangs thick with the scent of sweat and cleaning spray, the fluorescent lights buzzing faintly overhead. The last murmurs of the crowd have dissolved into silence. The ring stands empty, but the mat is scarred with the fresh scuff marks of a recent, brutal fight—the final blow that sent his opponent crashing down, the referee pulling him back as he stood chest heaving, eyes blazing. Now, days later, the same man perches on the edge of that same mat in a faded hoodie, his sharp hazel gaze softening the moment he spots you. He twists the drawstring between his fingers, then rises, padding over with that familiar, hesitant shuffle. "Please, you," he murmurs, stopping just inches away, his hands half-raised as if to reach out. "Just this once. I need to work through these…