Tony Padilla Imagines

How Hard You Hit

(Y/N)'s POV
As you walk into the boxing gym, your senses are taken over by the smell of sweat and cologne. You smile as you wrap your hands and start using the punching bag. As you hit the bag your mind flashes back to before you left home, when your step-father used to abuse you. You still had the scars on your back from where he had hit you with a belt he had attached bits of metal to. In order to hide your past from everyone at school you got a massive tattoo that covered your whole back. Everyone brushed it off, well everyone but one person. Tony Padilla somehow managed to see through everyone's walls and the lies they have built up, including yours and that put you on Tony's radar in the first place. You stop hitting the punching bag when a voice rings out across the gym "Hey, Rocky!"

You look in the direction the voice was coming from only to see Tony walking up to you. You turn back around and start to unwrap your hands. Once Tony finally reaches you, you smile. "What's up?"

Tony smiles at you. "This is going to sound really fucking stupid, but I saw your tattoo peaking out from your shirt and I wanted to ask you about it."

Your smile fell.  "What did you want to know about it?" you ask trying to seem nonchalant

"What's the story behind it? Why'd you get it?" Tony asks, shooting a smile your way.

You sigh and shake your head. You had never told anyone the story behind the tattoo but you knew Tony would't tell anyone. "You really want to know?"

"Yeah I do, whats the story?"

You sigh and  shoot a small smile his way "Follow me."

You lead Tony into the locker room and turn to face him. "If I tell you this, you have to promise this stays between you and me."

Tony nods his head "I promise."

You nod your head and pull your tank top over your head leaving you in your sports bra. You flinch when Tony runs his hand over the tattoo covered scars. You look at him in the mirror. Tony takes his hand off your back and looks at you, with sadness filling his brown eyes. "What's the story?" 

You clear your throat and force a smile. "When I was really little, my dad died of cancer. My mom remarried and life went on for us, but he, um, he used to beat me with this belt, he had sharp bits of metal on it so it would cut up my back when he hit me. This went on for years, and i managed to keep it hidden from everyone, and when I turned 16 I ran away from home. I couldn't take it anymore, I needed out.  The scars were a constant reminder of what he did and I wanted to put it behind me, so I got this tattoo. I believe that everyone has their demons, the only thing that's different is how we carry them, some people hide them away, and others, they carry them openly. I carry mine on my back."

Tony smiles at you "You know there's a line in one of the Rocky movies that reminds me of you."

You laugh at him "Oh yeah? What line would that be?"

" He says 'It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done.' It's fitting don't you think?" Tony says

You smile at him "It's very fitting."

Tony smiles at you and moves to stand in front of you. "It takes someone like you to show people that a life after something like that is possible." he says, looking into your (E/C) eyes.

You blush and look at the floor. When you look up at him again, his face is serious. "Where are you staying?"

"I tend to stay at the homeless shelter." you admit, looking at the floor once again.

Tony shakes his head and scratches the back of his neck. "Not anymore. You're staying with me from now on."

"Tony are you sure? Your parents aren't going to be mad?"

"They won't care. I can't let you stay on the streets, it's no way for you to live."

You nod your head and give Tony a hug. "Thank you." you say into his neck

Tony hesitates before hugging you back "You're welcome" he says into your hair.

You pull away from Tony and smile at him "I think Rocky was right, it's definitely not about how hard you hit. Something else is running through my head though."

"What's that?"

"I have been through a lot of shit over the years but I always believed there was a light at the end of the tunnel, maybe that light was you."