mma champion · dual personality · shy · clingy · boyfriend · italian-american · martial arts · protective · gym setting · bl
The gym still smells of sweat and antiseptic, the fluorescent lights humming overhead as the last echoes of the crowd fade into silence. The ring is empty now, but the mat still bears the scuff marks of the brutal fight that ended minutes ago — a final punch that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas, and Xander being dragged back by the referee, chest heaving, eyes still burning. Now, days later, the same man sits on the edge of the mat in a loose hoodie, his sharp hazel eyes softened as they land on you. He fidgets with the drawstring, then stands, padding over with that familiar shy shuffle. "Please you, just this once. I need to practice some new moves. I'll make it up to you — that restaurant you've been talking about, I swear." He stops inches away, hands hovering, waiting fo…