Southpaw [Ethan Dolan au]

O N E

The sun has yet to peek over the horizon when the shrill sound of the alarm next to his bed echoes through the cold and empty room.

With this being so routine by now, Ethan's eyes immediately shoot open from the sound, stretching his hand out to pound a fist against the top of the black box before letting out a heavy sigh. He lies there silently for a moment, eyes trained on the ceiling fan that spins hypnotically while his thoughts run rampant.

He thinks about today, tomorrow, next month, all the days to follow creeping up on him like his own personal reaper. Except, his reaper does not wield a scythe to slash across his back, but rather, dangles a pair of gloves in his face while the ding of the ringside gong acts as his omen for what's to come in five months.

It takes every stiff muscle in his body to finally gather the strength to sit himself up from the bed. When his feet finally touch the cold, wooden floor, he lets out another heavy sigh. Every morning exerts the same energy, and he's so exhausted from it; there's the ten-pound anvil which presses heavy on his chest while he's lying in bed, and the fifty-pound one which leaves him hunched over with dread when he finally sits up. After laying still for so long, it takes his body a minute to return to normal given how much more often he's spent in a constant state of moving.

His back cracks when he hoists himself from the bed, shoulders popping, and knees grinding to join in on the sore symphony. The silence of his empty apartment is finally broken when he lets out a strained groan as his arms stretch at his sides with clenched fists, the muscles in his back rippling from the movement. He trudges across the floor towards his closet with heavy leaded feet, pulling a pair of grey sweats over his shorts routinely. The frost on his window makes him reach for his grey hoodie, and then a black crew neck to throw over in hopes that maybe the thick layers will finally help him shed the few remaining pounds to make weight.

Once dressed, he snatches his phone from the table as he trudges into the bathroom - reading over Grayson's quick reminder that he's got physical therapy this morning, so Ethan is sparring with Tommy for the first hour - then he grabs his red beanie and headphones to place snug over his ears while he walks out the door of his apartment.

The chill New Jersey air hits him hard as soon as he makes it outside. Foggy puffs of air are evident as he takes a few deep breaths, in and out, to fill his lungs while pushing the soles of his feet against the brick wall to stretch his calves.

At five in the morning, the world is quiet, so Ethan scrolls through his music library until he comes across his training playlist and cranks the volume on full blast. The heavy bass to the rap song blasting in his ears pounds on his brain until it's cancelling out any lingering thoughts of his biggest issues in life; the music turns that switch that transforms him into a programmed machine who only knows the education of training and fighting. He throws the hood of his sweater over his head before bounding down the stone steps of his building in the beginnings of a jog.

In easy time, the jog becomes steady with his music as Ethan begins his seven-mile journey. As he runs, the buildings that pass in fast glances are something he can describe down to the very detail of each individual brick. He passes Manny Garcia's house where Grayson and he would ride their bikes to every Thursday after school because their parents would be working until late and Manny's mom always had snacks for them. Now he can't help but think about Manny who is overseas serving his country while the fiancé he left behind is six months pregnant; which reminds him that he needs to find time to stop at the store to pick up a gift for the little guy.

Next, he passes the corner market that Mr. Marino chased him out of at the age of ten when he swiped a pack of gum from the counter – not his last offense – who Ethan now waves to in a quick and simple greeting as Mr. Marino unlocks his store for the day.