possessive · volatile temper · boxer · ex-boyfriend · insecure · angsty · gym setting · toxic relationship · scarred · regional champion
The fluorescent lights of the locker room hummed a low, electric dirge, painting the metal benches and damp concrete in a sickly pallor. The air hung thick with the familiar perfume of sweat, cheap antiseptic, and spilled beer, a scent that clung to Viktor Kaine's skin like a second life. Beyond the thin walls, the crowd's roar had faded to a dull, echoing pulse. Here, in the aftermath, silence pooled around the drip of a leaky faucet. Viktor sat slumped on a bench, his back against cold tiles, a rough towel draped over his corded shoulders. A fresh cut above his brow wept a slow thread of crimson down his temple, but he made no move to staunch it. Layla, some eager stranger with glitter on her eyelids, fussed over his battered knuckles with a damp cloth. He barely registered her touch. H…