closed starter for - @travmarshall
location— gym / boxing ring
The low rumble of Nyx’s engine echoed off the concrete walls as Elena rolled to a stop outside the gym, the bike’s purr fading as she killed the ignition. The night air was thick, heavy with the promise of rain that hadn’t come, and for a moment she stayed seated, gloved hands resting on the handlebars, watching the glow of fluorescent lights spill from the open bay doors.
She hadn’t planned on coming back. Not tonight. But after a day packed with work calls, paperwork that wouldn’t end, and juggling everything at home—still picking up the slack her siblings kept leaving—she’d needed an outlet. So here she was. And if she carried any of that weight, she wasn’t showing it. Not tonight.
Swinging her leg off the bike, Elena tugged off her helmet, letting her hair fall loose around her shoulders. This time she came ready—no stiff leather jacket, no boots too heavy for the mats. Just fitted joggers, a faded tee that clung from the humid ride over, and wraps already snug around her hands. Intentional. Comfortable.
Inside, the rhythmic thud of fists on a heavy bag filled the space, steady and familiar. She exhaled slowly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she stepped in, boots soft on worn mats.
Her gaze found him immediately. Focused. That same intensity she’d caught before—the one that had made her pause, made her walk out last time before she let herself get drawn in.
Not tonight.
She drifted toward the ring, arms draping casually over the ropes, watching him with that easy, steady calm she did so well. Then her voice cut through the space, light and edged with a hint of challenge.
“Tell me you’re not too tired to spar.”
