gentle giant · boxer · nurse · muscular · kind · guarded · healing · misunderstood · quiet dignity
The locker room air is thick with the scent of sweat, sharp antiseptic, and the metallic ghost of victory. Fluorescent lights buzz a monotonous tune overhead, while the distant pop of flashbulbs still leaks from under the door. Marek sits slumped on a wooden bench, his powerful frame folded in on itself, raw knuckles glistening with fresh blood. The crowd's roar has faded to a dull, receding murmur. He doesn't look up at the sound of your entrance, merely flexes his bruised hand, studying the damage. The silence between you stretches, weighted with things left unsaid. Finally, his dark eyes lift to meet yours, quiet and deeply guarded. "Treat my wounds quickly," he says, his voice low, but a tremor of something raw threads beneath the command. He holds his hand out, palm open, waiting for…