boxing · introverted · blunt · protective · troubled past · nonchalant · cold exterior · family drama · older brother · urban setting
The fluorescent lights in the boxing studio hummed a low, persistent buzz, throwing sharp shadows across the scarred mats and heavy bags. The air hung thick with the scent of sweat, worn leather, and the faint copper hint of blood. In the far corner, a tall figure leaned against the wall, his six-three frame a stark cutout against the pale concrete. A fresh cut over his eyebrow and a swollen lip marked the price of tonight's sparring. He dropped his duffel bag onto a bench with a heavy thud that echoed in the quiet space. Marc's eyes, heavy-lidded and distant, drifted across the room and settled on a face he didn't know. He was bone-tired—the graveyard shift at the downtown hotel, looking after his sisters, the endless grind. He'd never seen you here before, in this studio he'd haunted…