-Harry
My breaths come out strong and steady. My eyes focused on the quick movements that are becoming slower with each punch directed my way.
My fist impacts my opponents jaw, making his head snap to the side. He spits out blood onto the mat, his mouth guard clearly not doing a proper job at protecting his teeth.
He doesn't waste a second in aiming for my ribs, but I easily block his approach. Same as I have all the others.
He's already lost. And he knows it.
It's a strange thing, watching your opponent as his certainty and hope fades away. Replaced by doubt. By disappointment.
You can learn so much in those first few seconds.. When you both meet in the middle of the ring, tapping your gloves together before the bell signals the first round has begun.
Is he sure of himself? Is he worried? Is the crowd already distracting him?
Boxing isn't just about being able to hit hard. It's not just about how hard you can get hit. It's being able to read your opponents weaknesses while showing none of your own.
A skill I've been determined to perfect ever since I put on my first pair of gloves. A skill that's never failed me.
I keep relatively still as he moves around the ring, keeping my eyes focused on him, blocking out the sound of the crowd of the crowd around us. I continue to turn as he circles me, shifting his weight from foot to the other.
Buying himself time to plan his next attack.
But only wearing himself out more.
When he finally darts towards me, his blue glove flying towards my face, I don't hesitate to duck down and throw my fist up into his stomach.
He buckles over, clutching it and groaning.
He dares to look up at me and it only takes one more precise hit to his left check to send him falling to the floor.
My arm is held up, the crowd cheering as I'm pronounced the winner. The winner by exactly five points.
Earning me not only the trophy but another seventy five thousand from Carter.
I'm now three hundred thousand dollars richer, with only one more fight left to go.
I squint, trying to look past the lights and into the stands. Searching for the pair of bright blue eyes that make my heart skip a beat.
But I don't find them. Not next to Carter like they usually are. Not anywhere.
She's not here. But that means she's also not with Carter.
A towel is thrown over my shoulders as Coach holds up a bucket for me to spit my mouth guard into.
"You could of taken his sorry a.ss down in the first round! Why'd you drag it out?" He questions.
"I didn't." I lie, "Had a bit of a hard time reading him. He only got in two hits anyway."
"Two hits when it should of been none." He grumbles, knowing I'm better then what I've been boxing of late.
But I can't tell him the truth. That I'm making sure to win by exactly how many points I'm told. That I'm making money off fixing my own fights. He'd drop me the second the words left my mouth.
No matter what I'm needing the money for. Who I'm needing the money for.
I step through the ropes surrounding the ring, ignoring the women that try to stop me on my way to the locker room.
Weeks ago it was different. I'd stop to chat, pick out the one I wanted to bring to the back, then let her blow me in the locker room.
Not that I didn't enjoy it at the time, I f.ucking loved it, but something was different now. The desire to touch them, to have them touch me, was just gone.
Completely overshadowed by my desire for one person in particular.
I listen to Coach griping at me the whole way back, complaining my game has been off. I don't fight him on it, he's right.
He decides to add another day of training to the next two weeks, thinking that will solve the problem before my next fight.
He finally leaves me in peace after a good thirty minutes of going on about what I need to work on and I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he retreats to his office for the night.
I take a quick shower, eager to get to the after party Carter is hosting once again. I don't give two s.hits about his party or the people he wants me to meet at it.
I go simply because I know she'll be there. I go simply for the chance to get to talk to her.
She really does have me completely f.ucked up.
Nate is waiting for me as I exit the locker rooms, having happily agreed to go with me tonight. He's never been one to say no to party with free booze. Or a party at all for that matter.
"Can't believe we're going to Aiden f.ucking Carter's townhouse!" He slaps me on the back as we head towards the subway, "You have any idea how rich the dude is? He practically owns the whole d.amn city."
"So I've heard."
"How the f.uck did you get invited to one of Aiden Carter's parties?!"
"He likes to watch me fight." I shrug as we take a seat aboard the train. "Not that big of a deal."
"Are you kidding.. F.uck H, have you heard the stories about what goes on at his parties? The women..."
"Been to a few before, not at wonderful as they're made out to be."
"You've been to one before!? More then one?! And you didn't bring me?!" Nate widens his eyes at me in disbelief.
"If you don't stop going on about it, I won't be bringing you to this one either." I warn.
"Alright alright!" He holds up his hands in defense. "So why are you going if you don't like them?"
"Never said I didn't like them."
"They're not as wonderful as they're made out to be." Nate says with a fake accent, mocking me.
"Very funny mate." I roll my eyes at him as he laughs, standing up when the train pulls to a stop. "This is us."
Nate follows me out and up the stairs to the street, rubbing his hands together.
"Time to party!" He grins, elbowing me in the side.
"You're going to embarrass the shite out of me aren't you?" I raise an eyebrow at him, but he only shakes his head.
"Wouldn't think of it."
Carter's townhouse is just as I imagined it would be. Situated in the most prestigious neighborhood in Manhattan, it being the most massive place on the street.
I give my name to the security at the door, having to convince them to let Nate in along with me.
The second we're inside, glasses of champagne are nearly shoved into our hands, Nate quickly gulping his down and drinking mine as well.
"Is that caviar? And lobster?..." He eyes a few of the waiters holding trays a few feet away from us. "Is there a limit to how much I can eat?"
"No. Do your worst." I wave him off before he starts to outright salivate on the floor, glancing around the main room.
I see several people I met at the last party, and I just give them a polite nod hello. I can't remember even one of their names. I was to distracted to listen to them then and it's no different tonight.
"Styles.. glad you could make it."
I turn on my heel at the sound of Carter's voice, finding him standing alone with an outstretched hand.
I shake it, my jaw clenching at the mere sight of him.
"Carter.. You alright?" I force my voice to sound as polite as possible.
"I'm well. I'm very pleased with the fight tonight. This looks like the start to a very promising business relationship."
"The start? We've only one fight left." I remind him.
"Yes..." He takes a drink of his whiskey, "We'll see won't we?"
"No, don't think we will. I only agreed to five..."
"I have someone I want you to meet." He cuts me off. "A very important business partner of mine."
I resist the urge to tell him to sod off as he looks around the room, his eyes suddenly lighting up as he calls across the room. "Ah! Everly!"
I follow his eye line to Everly standing across the room, near a baby grand piano. Her strapless floral dress hugs her slender frame, showing off toned shoulders and the long legs I've day dreamed about on more then one occasion.
She is as always... utterly gorgeous.
Her eyes widen slightly as her gaze meets mine, a forced smile quickly replacing her worried expression as we make our way over to her.
We're only a few steps away when I realize she's not alone, a tall middle aged Japanese man standing next to her.
"Mr. Kimura, this is Harry Styles.." Carter smiles, looking back and forth between us. "Styles, this is Mr. Kimura."
I shake his hand as he studies me, looking me over intently.
"Nice to finally meet you Mr. Styles." He says with a thick accent.
"Lovely to meet you as well." I nod, glancing over at Everly.
The look on her face surprises me. She seems positively frightened, her small hands almost shaking. My gaze flicks back to Mr. Kimura, my eyes narrowing in distrust.
"Carter here has told me many good things about you."
"Has he?"
"Yes. I've heard you have never lost a fight?"
"Not yet. We all have to lose at some point though, don't we?"
"Not all." Kimura smiles, "I enjoyed the fight tonight. Your determination to win is very commendable."
"I've always been of the mentality that if you're going to half a.ss it, it shouldn't be done at all." I shrug.
Kimura laughs, nodding his head. "A mentality we both share..."
"If you'll both excuse us.." Carter interjects. "There's someone I need to say hello to."
He places his hand on the small of Everly's back, her lips forming a tight line as he steers her across the room.
I bite the inside of my cheek when I notice Kimura watching me, standing up a bit straighter as I focus back on him.
"It is not often I find someone so dedicated to their career." He speaks up, "Many don't realize the sacrifices that must be made to succeed in life as we do."
"Sacrifices?" I question, wondering what the h.ell he's talking about.
"Yes. You moved away from your family to train here in New York did you not?"
"I did." I nod.
"And you love your family." He states more then asks. "By coming over here you sacrificed your time with them."
I stay quiet, trying to read him and failing miserably. There's something about him that just seems.. off.
"I've made sacrifices as well to get where I am today Mr. Styles. None were easy, but all were necessary. I'm sure you'd agree."
"I would."
"I think.." He goes on, "It's why do we do what we do that's most important. For instance, I work hard for my family. To make my business a success. To leave something for my children. That is what motivates me.. Tell me Mr. Styles, what is it that motivates you?"
My gaze drifts across the room, finding Everly peering back at me. I barely notice the small shake of her head, almost as if she's warning me.
"Why so interested?" I look back at him sternly, pursing my lips in annoyance at his intrusive questioning.
But he isn't looking at me, his eyes are trained on where mine just were. Across the room. On Everly.
"The why... its means so much more then the sacrifice, does it not?" He smiles, focusing back on me and once again offering me his hand. "Was nice to meet you Mr. Styles, I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other soon."
I nod even though I've no wish to ever see him again, shaking his hand before he walks away.
I'm startled as a hand grips my shoulder, Nate suddenly appearing in front of me.
A guilty grin completely covering his face.
"Okay.. So I may or may not have just propositioned the mayor's wife... Accidentally in front of the mayor."
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Btw Mr. Kimura is played by Ken Watanabe ;)