Dante
Fight Club really was damn near impossible to miss. The gym's exterior seemed as if it was once an old production building that was converted into a studio space. One look at it and it looked even further on the verge of ruins than my apartment complex.
My fingers hesitantly snaked their way around the handle of the entrance door, as I juggled the weight of the food on my other arm. I was worried that this would quickly turn into a scene out of the Looney Toons, and if I pulled too hard, the entire building would crumble.
Before I gathered up the strength to give it a go, the door burst open from inside, forcing me to stumble back. Luckily a hand grabbed my arm before both the food and myself could end up on the concrete.
"Oh shit sorry, are you okay?" A familiar voice asked me as they practically pulled me through the doorway. I felt myself tense up and immediately recoil once I registered the feeling of his hands on me. The speed in which I withdrew my arm away from him left those perfectly sculpted eyebrows on this literally perfect human, furrowed.
The voice had been a dead giveaway, but when my brown eyes met those blue ones, complete realization settled on both our faces. "Oh... Dante?" He asked, staring at me so intensely I could do nothing but pray to god i had nothing stuck in my teeth.
"H-Hi! I'm s-sorry, I just- I had no ideas someone was- um, and-" if I could slap myself right now, I would. In a heartbeat.
His intensity softened a bit when he spotted the bags of food I had tightly gripped between my fingers. "Oh! No apologize necessary, that was on me. You must be dropping off our food order."
I gave him a nod. "Kassie said to find Sammy or Grayson. I'm not sure who either are, and as for Sammy I didn't know whether that was a man or woman but I don't see any woman here so I don't really know like maybe Sammy stands for Samantha but then it could also be Samuel and I just-
"Let me help with that." This gorgeous human cut in on my rant, as he helped grab a few of the bags that were now threatened to free themselves from my hold.
He had turned to start walking, and all I could assume was that he wanted me to follow him. I did my best to keep up with his long strides, but as he lead me through the boxing sets, I unintentionally began to slow.
There were people set up on roll out mats towards the front of the gym, but as we walked further into the facility, I noticed the more serious equipment come into play. From what I could tell, most of the less experienced fighters were set up with one veteran partner in the front of the building. Towards the back, however, it looked like it consisted fully of more experienced boxers.
I was startled out of my wits by the sound of something being smacked hard into a mat. When my head whipped around in that direction, the sight I saw was even more terrifying. There was a man standing over someone smaller in one of the bigger rings, offering him a hand. His face was bloodied, and he seemed to be having some trouble getting back up. The man who had appeared to have knocked him out, and who was now helping the man back up, was someone I recognized.
It was the guy who was with handsome lad when I got my lights punched out by Willis. Seeing him sweaty and completely without a shirt got my blood pumping that's for sure. How we're all these guys so in shape?
I found it hilarious that I was asking this question while I stood in the middle of a gym.
"Is he okay?" I hadn't even noticed I had said those words aloud until I heard a chuckle come from in front of me. Blonde hair blue eyed had also slowed his pace so I could catch up.
"Most definitely. All the guys here in the veterans area definitely know how to take a hit. Let's get this food in the break room, and I can give you a little tour if you'd like?" The man offered as he held the back door open for me.
"I-Oh t-that's okay really. I'm still on the clock and Kassie-" blond hair blue eyes waived me off the same way Kassie had, after he set the bags on a counter.
"Don't sweat it, Kassie's got it. The very least I could do is figure out whatever the fuck is going on with your nose." As he said those words, he shifted his attention away from the food entirely, and towards me.
It was... an unexplainable feeling. The feeling of dread because I had almost forgot all about my stupid nose, and I'm sure he was able to see just how fucked up it was. It also made a very small amount of myself feel warm. Definitely the my entire body is on fire feeling because this man was just shy of gods most perfect creation, but he also emitted a very non threatening warmth... the kind of warmth I could never in a million years imagine receiving from a fight club.
Blond hair blue eyes took a small step towards me.
"Oh you really don't have to." I tried to rush out again, as my heart quickened in pace. There wasn't much room for me to back up, because directly behind me was a wall of lockers.
I noticed the way in which his eyes hovered over me. It was impossible to figure out what he was thinking... let alone what he his next plan of attack was, as he took another step towards me.
"I know I don't have to," he chuckled, stopping abruptly to kneel down next to a cabinet. I felt myself release another shaking breath when he open up the bottom drawer to reveal a first aid. "But I want to. We gotta get you in tip top shape for Tidal Wave... you haven't even experienced the weekend yet." He explained.
My heart immediately dropped to my stomach. Could the weekend be worse? Worse than whatever I've already experienced?
Blonde hair blue eyes set the first aid on one of the benches and signaled for me to come have a seat. He sat down in a straddled position on the bench, and I followed in suit. I made sure just to keep a couple feet between the two of us... luckily, the first aid box was a great barrier. "I don't know if I can handle another punch from a random stranger." I mumbled more to myself. This handsome stranger must have picked up on those words because he offered me another light laugh.
"Ironically enough, that wasn't just some random stranger." He replied as he started taking out some alcohol pads and wipes from the white tin box. "Willis has definitely gone down a different path, but he was once the proud owner of this gym. It wasn't called Fight Club at the time, but actually Shred It."
I watched as he ripped some alcohol pads out from their paper thin packaging, and signaled for me to move a little closer. When his eyes met mine again, I found myself seemingly unable to hold his gaze. I broke away moments later, distracting myself with the scenery of the back room as I allowed him to pat my nose down.
Blonde hair blue eyes continued his story.
"Lots of history there. Willis definitely lost direction after all those years... but it looks like his jab's still got it. I'm sorry you had to find the out the hard way." His hand grazed against a fresh cut that made me hiss with pain. When I jerked my head back out of reflex, that was was when his hand slipped below my chin to keep me steady again. We were a comfortable distance apart, just an arms length away on this bench... but every time his skin touched mine I felt this feeling of claustrophobia and inability to breathe.
I did my best to look everywhere else but at him. I didn't want to make this very obviously straight guy uncomfortable with me checking him out. He'd probably end up showing me just how good his jab was.
When I caught whiff of his cologne sweat mix as he leant in a tad closer to position the gauze, it dawned one me that I was going to need to get out of here soon.
Very soon.
"That's very unfortunate to hear." I replied, holding my breath entirely now.
Maybe if I didn't breathe him in, it wouldn't be as intoxicating?
Then I realized quite quickly that if I didn't breathe in anything at all, I was going to die.
"For sure." He replied, stretching the gauze tape out as he gently set everything in place. I now had a soft cushion of protection around the swelling. "Here's an ice pack to take home but please please make sure you ice it." he set the now liquid pack down next to me. "That will be critical for swelling and pain."
"Thank you." I replied, offering the biggest smile I could muster, without pulling on the gauze tape and ruining all his hard work. "For everything." I added.
"Don't sweat it." He replied, offering me a smile in return. "If you ever need some pointers on fighting back, let me know." He replied.
As soon as those words left his lips, I immediately retreated back behind those safe metaphoric walls. My body was not my own, as I stood up abruptly. "Thank you- Thanks again- I, uh, I should be getting back to work now."
Those words had come out of me at lightning speed, but I barely got them all out in time before I bolted out of the back room. The last thing I could hear was the voice of the handsome stranger pleading with me to wait, but I was out of there before he could finish.
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