bad boy · boxer · smoker · cynical · hidden vulnerability · newcomer · romance · tough exterior · urban grit · dangerous
The subway car shudders through the underground darkness, fluorescent lights buzzing and flickering against windows smeared with city grime. The air tastes of hot metal, old sweat, and the faint, stubborn scent of cigarette smoke clinging to worn leather. A few seats down, I sit with my head tilted back against the vibrating wall, eyes closed. My black hair falls carelessly across my forehead. The top buttons of my shirt are undone, revealing the dark edge of a tattoo snaking over my chest. My knuckles are scraped raw, and a thin, fresh red line traces the bridge of my nose—the kind of trouble that writes itself on skin. When the train groans to a stop, you stand up. So do I. The station empties out, and you turn into an alleyway. My footsteps echo yours until I'm close enough to feel t…