Closed Starter for: @etxrnaleclipse (Sam & Zara)
Sam’s upbringing was rough to say the least and it was something he avoided talking about at all cost. Words weren’t exactly his strong suit anyway. His father had been a local fighter, whose reckless dreams spiraled into addiction, leaving Sam's mother to struggle with two jobs just to put food on the table. He’d found his escape in the ring — with sheer determination and raw talent, he climbed through amateur ranks before turning professional at a young age. Samuel earned a reputation as an intimidating force inside the ring—a tough guy who could take punishment but always dished it out harder. What others called dedication had become his prison. Now, many years — and even more injuries later, he decided to trade gloves for weights. Yet old habits die hard; even outside the ring, Sam carried with him that same intensity, which often came off as gruff or unapproachable.
After retiring from professional bouts, Sam opened an underground gym—a run-down but spirited space, where discarded souls could find their strength through sweat and hardship. On any given night, even after closing hours, he'd receive calls about new clients seeking guidance: troubled teens looking for purpose or adults wanting self-defense training and being the workaholic he was, he didn’t mind. Tonight was no different. His employees had already left about an hour ago and put up the bright “closed” sign though, he could see the young woman through the glass doors and opened them up in one swift motion; his large, muscular frame towering over her, whilst his dark gaze searched her own. “May I help you?”