KNOCK OUT [LH]

Chapter 9: Sleepover

"Since I'm spending the night and all, do you think we could swing by my house to grab my retainer?" I ask Luke, following him into the darkened apartment as I slip off my shoes and kick them to the side.

"No." He says, venturing further into his home to turn on a few lights and toss his keys onto the kitchen counter.

I trail in behind him, watching as the boxer silently fills up a glass of water and chugs it down, before filling it up again and repeating the action, Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he does so.

All those fighting words shared with Blade Atwood must have made him thirsty.

"Ok, that's cool." I say, swinging my hands back and forth awkwardly as I stand in the middle of the kitchen. "I just haven't slept without it since I got my braces off like five years ago. But I mean how much can teeth shift in one night, right?"

Luke sets the glass down in the sink with a clang, before leaning into the countertop and pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"Listen kid, I don't care about your damn retainer. I'm just trying to be a decent person and give you a place to stay for the night." He points out, pushing off of the counter and stepping out of the kitchen as his shoulder brushes past me. "So don't push it."

I nod understandingly and follow him down the hallway to where his bedroom is, but before I can enter the room the door slams forcefully in my face, blowing my baby hairs around.

Hey I get it, personal space.

"I'll just be out here... take your time in there!" I call, patting the door twice, and when there's no reply I back away from it, deciding its best to take a look around Luke's apartment to pass the time.

In all of the boxer FanFictions I've read, when the main character ends up at the boxer's apartment, it's clear that some big money moves are about to be made. Normally the story takes a turn at this point, because it's here where the main character finds some endearing family photos, or a few meaningful items that truly describe the boxer's hidden personality, and really flesh out the misunderstood character.

But most importantly, it's here where the main character and boxer share a sentimental moment or two.

So far tonight, Luke Hemmings has not only stood up to Blade Atwood for me at the club, but he also took me back to his apartment, instead of easily dropping me off at home, and if I'm being honest, I'm quite shocked that the short tempered boxer is letting me stay the night.

Could this be an indication that I'm slowly starting to soften the man up?

Let's hope so, because I'm pretty sure by this point in the boxer fanfics the main character and boxer have had some kind of intimate moment together... and I'm falling behind.

Luke's apartment is modest, yet classy, with dark wooden floors and a modern marble kitchen. The living room has a Persian style rug laid across the floor in its position under a glass coffee table and single leather couch, adorned with various throw pillows. Two rolls of white knuckle wraps are spread across the coffee table beside a pair of red boxing gloves, and multiple pieces of art and city maps decorate the crisp white walls.

I snicker at a few photos of Luke, Ashton, and Michael hung up around the place, as they hold snapshots of crazy nights out, beach trips, and candids. But there's not one family photo in sight.

I quickly text Calum, informing him of my whereabouts, as I munch on the banana I snagged from the kitchen's fruit bowl, and slip into a room I haven't explored yet, flipping on the light.

Lining the walls of the room are about a dozen guitars, ranging from all types of acoustic and electric. There's a few amps stacked up beside a makeshift mic stand for recording, and the walls are covered in classic band posters. A glossy black piano sits directly in the center of the room above another red Persian style rug, and there's a messy stack of inked paper littered across the top--songs and sheet music.