𝐑𝗼𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐛𝗼𝐚 <3 {𝓑𝓾𝓷𝓷𝔂}

3

𝚁𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚢'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"Thank you so much."

She said softly and let out a few sniffles.
I softly spoke, "I think we should go to the hospital, or maybe report to the police depart-."
"No, no, it's okay," she said "I just want to go home."
I was still hesitant but decided to just listen to her. She already went through enough.
"Is it okay if I walk ya home?" I asked her
"Yes please, but I don't think I can walk," she said tiredly
"It's okay, I can pick ya. You'll just have to navigate the directions." I said
She let a small "Okay."

𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

The minute he looked at me, I trusted him. I ran to him and felt his warm embrace. There was something about him that made me feel safe and warm. His eyes had good in them. I didn't see manipulation or venom. He really cared.
I felt like I could trust him so I let him walk me home. He picked me up with his strong muscular arms and I leaned slowly against his buff chest. I tiredly looked ahead, and exhaustedly told him the directions.

We have been walking for me a few minutes now, and I just realized I don't know his name.
"Hey," I said
"Hm," he said as I felt his chest vibrate from his deep voice.
"What is your name?" I said faintly
"My names' Rocky, what about' yours?" he spoke
"Well, my name is Annie but I'll prefer if you called me Ann."
"Alright, Ann I'll just do that," he said grinning softly
After a few seconds, he spoke.
"So Ann, what do you like to do?
"Well, my career is art, so I love painting, but my favorite thing is dance."
"I don't move good. I stink as a dancer." he said
"What do you like to do?" I asked him back
"I'm a boxer, I was fifteen. That's when I started fighting. Ya gotta watch the ankles. Yeah, fightin' used to be tops with me, but no more. All I wanted to prove was I weren't no bum. That I had the stuff to make a good pro."
"From the punching I saw you do back there, it seems like you are a good pro." I told him slightly lifting my head too look him in the eyes. He glanced at me and grinned
"Thank ya." he said
"I still fight. Kinda do it like a hobby. See I'm a natural southpaw an' most pugs won't fight a southpaw 'cause we mess up their timin' an' look awkward. Southpaw means lefthanded... But I guess in the long run things probably worked out for the best, right?"
"It just seems like you never had a chance to prove yourself". I told him
"Truly". He said
"Y'know how I got started in the fight racket?"I shook my head. My ol' man who was never the sharpest told me I weren't born with much brain so I better use my body."
I let out a laugh. "What's funny?" he asked
"My mother told me just the opposite. I said, 'You weren't born with much of a body so you'd better develop your brain."
"Ya gotta be a little soft to wanna be a pug... It's a racket where ya' almost guaranteed to end up a bum."
"I don't think you're a bum." I said to him
"If you were a bum you would have never come to save me and beat that man to a pulp."
"... I'm at least half a bum. Yeah, fightin' is a crazy
racket. The roughest part is the mornin' after."
"Morning after?" I said
"After a rough fight, ya' nothin' but a large wound. Sometimes I feel like callin' a taxi to drive me from my bed to the bathroom... Ya' eyes hurt, ya' ears hurt, ya' hair even hurts... But the thing I'm proud of is I been in over sixty fights an' never had a busted nose. Bent an' twisted an' bitten but never broke... That's rare."
"Sounds impressive but why do you do it if it hurts so bad?" I said
"... Guess."
I paused.
" 'Cause you can't sing or dance?" I said
Rocky smiled.