Taste of Melanin

Fighter

Nox Romano kept his head low as he threw quick jabs at his partner's gloved hands. They moved around the ring as he switched up his attack.

Sweat caused his t-shirt to stick to his skin and his long, dark hair was held away from his face by a thin hair band. Promoters often floated that his good looks would bring in crowds but Nox couldn't care less.

He fought to put money on the table and chase his passion- not entertain some fling. Thankfully, he was one of the highest earning in the amateur league so he often only fought when he wanted to.

Before he could switch to working on his jabs, a loud commotion at the front of the gym caught his attention. Two men stood at the door arguing with someone attempting to come inside.

Nox sighed, knowing the instance wouldn't be the last considering people often failed to realize it was a private gym. The gym was owned by Matthew Waters and only used for fighters under the Waters' company.

He couldn't make out what they were saying but their animated motions let him know it was serious. They continued talking while he focused back on the pads.

A moment later, the men's calls were amplified as they chased someone inside. Nox once more paused to see a woman in business attire strut across the floor. She was clearly on a mission from the way her hands balled at her sides and her strides were unwavering.

Nox watched as she rounded the ring to approach the training area next to it. The woman stopped for a moment before making her way down the end of the mats. He was happy she had the common sense not to cut across training areas.

He'd have usually gone back to training by now but something about the woman held his attention. She finally made it to where she was going and Nox quickly leaned up from the ropes as he noticed her speaking with Natasha.

Natasha was one of the female fighters under the water's company and Nox knew the woman was clearly in over her head. As he stepped from the ring, Natasha stood to her feet to meet the woman head up.

They shared a heated exchange that he couldn't hear from his position. He couldn't help but admire the woman's fire to step to a professional fighter. She waved her hands wildly, her posture showing she was scolding Natasha.

Natasha waved the woman off with a visible laugh. The woman cocked her head back at the action before reaching down to begin taking the heels from her feet.

"Hey!" Multiple people yelled as the two squared off. The woman remained firm in her actions despite Natasha being nearly 4 inches taller. Nox finally stepped within hearing range of the woman yet didn't step any closer.

"I don't care! You're so big and bad, right? Step outside." The woman yelled as the others in the gym pulled them away.

"Go home and take care of your sister." Natasha spoke, the tone of her voice letting Nox know the statement was intended to be snarky.

"I'll kill you, bitch! You better hope I don't catch you outside of this shit." She called as she pointed at Natasha. Despite her harsh words, she stood stoically and spoke without fluctuations.

Nox watched as she pushed the men away from her. Bending slightly, she slipped the heels back on and pushed passed the crowd. He couldn't help but stare as she came closer. The woman was gorgeous up close.

Her hair was pulled back into a low bun and her Afrocentric features were accentuated by soft makeup. The dark eyes spoke to her previous challenging tone and her full lips were covered in a brown color.

"What? Damn, all in my face." She muttered as she rolled her eyes at him upon noticing his staring.

"Maybe you shouldn't be trespassing if you don't want people looking at you." Nox found himself replying despite normally brushing off such comments.