The night before Ash’s boxing match had been a disaster.

Ash was already tense, his shoulders tight from the weight of tomorrow, and you… you weren’t in the best mood either. Communication between the two of you had always been messy—love burning hot, but so did the temper. What was supposed to be a calm evening turned into something else entirely.

It started over nothing, really. A stupid movie night.

“I don’t know,” Ash had answered when you asked him what he wanted to watch.

“It’s always the same with you anyway,” you muttered under your breath, plopping down on the couch, scrolling through the tv.

His head snapped up, eyes narrowing as he looked at you across the couch. “Excuse me?”

You looked back at him, pride preventing you from backing down, even if you should have. “I said it’s always the same with you anyway. You can never make decisions.”

Ash stared at you in disbelief, jaw tightening. “We’re talking about a film here, just fucking chill out.”

“Cause you think this is only about the movie?” You knew it was a low blow, but words came out before you could stop them.

His eyebrow arched, mocking, daring. “Oh, you really wanna go down that road? You think you’re any better?”

That was it. Voices rose, sharp words flying like punches. Neither of you backing down, both too proud to take a step back. By the end of it, Ash had stormed out, slamming the door behind him, leaving you alone in the suffocating silence of your living room.

The next day, Ash sat in the locker room, bent forward on the bench, rolling the tape tight around his fists. His body was ready, but his mind was elsewhere. The echo of your voice still rang in his ears louder than the crowd outside. His best friend and teammate, Mike, was beside him, giving last-minute pep talks, checking gloves, trying to keep him focused.

That’s when the door opened.

And you walked in. Ash’s chest tightened the second he saw you. Of course you came. You always came before his matches.

Mike glanced between the two of you, sensed the tension, and then clapped Ash’s shoulder. “I’ll give you guys a minute,” he said before slipping out, leaving the tension behind.

Ash didn’t look up right away. He kept wrapping, pulling the bandage snug, focusing on the motion like it was the only thing keeping him from exploding. You stood there, expecting him to freeze you out completely.

But then, without lifting his eyes, his cold voice cut through the silence.

“What do you want.”