Standing in the dimly lit hallway of her apartment, his eyes dark with fury, was her abusive boyfriend named Trevor. There he stood before them with a look of rage in his eyes. He was infuriated with Jasmine's lateness.

"Where the fuck have you been, Jasmine? You should've been home hours ago!" He snapped, "You know what happens when you're late."

"T-Trevor! I...I had to work for awhile longer so I could make enough money to..."

"I'm not buying your little bullshit lies, Jasmine!" He shouted, cutting her off, "Where's your little stripper paycheck, huh?"

In the chaos that followed, Joe's only thought was to protect Jasmine, to shield her from harm at any cost. And as he stepped between her and her abuser, his own safety forgotten in the heat of the moment, he knew that no matter the outcome, he would stand by her side until the very end.

As Joe's eyes swept over Jasmine's trembling form, his heart clenched with a mixture of rage and despair. The sight of the bruises slightly covering her delicate skin sent a surge of protective fury coursing through his veins; a primal instinct to shield her from further harm at any cost.

His hands curled into fists at his sides, his muscles tensing with the overwhelming urge to confront her abusive boyfriend, Trevor, and to beat the living hell out of him more importantly.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Joe protested.

Trevor snickered, "I'll talk to her however I want to, Buddy. I suggest you back off and we won't have any issues."

With a steely resolve, Joe forced himself to take a step back in attempt to ease his angered nerves, his gaze never leaving Jasmine's as he silently urged her to stay calm. Despite the storm raging within him, he knew that lashing out in a blind fury would only escalate the situation, putting Jasmine in even greater danger.

But as Trevor continued to make things worse, his fists were clenched in readiness for a fight, Joe knew that he couldn't stand idly by and watch as Jasmine suffered in silence and trembling in freight. With a swift motion, he positioned himself between them once more, his stance firm and unwavering as he faced down her attacker.

"Enough!" He shouted, his voice low and commanding. "You need to leave Jasmine alone. I can tell that you've hurt her and I'm not having it. I suggest you leave this house and never return or else we're gonna have a problem."

For a moment, there was a tense standoff between them as Joe's body stood in front of Trevor's. The nightly air thickened with the promise of violence and tension that filled the entire room. But as Trevor almost hesitated for a mere second, his eyes flickering with uncertainty, Joe knew that he had to stand his ground.

"Oh? And what exactly are you going to do about it, big man?" He asked, followed with a scoff, "Are you supposed to be her little knight in shining armor?"

"What if I am? And do you think causing bodily harm and emotional scarring to Jasmine is something to be proud of? No man should ever put his hands on a woman!" He snarled, "You're a sorry excuse of a boyfriend."

Joe continued, "You're treating Jasmine like she's your property when she's a human being with emotions. But you know what? She deserves better than you. And I'm not going to stand by and watch you hurt her any longer..."

Trevor's face contorted with anger at the accusation, his fists clenching at his sides once more as he prepared to lash out in retaliation. But before he could respond, the tension between them erupted into a full-blown fight, the sound of fists meeting flesh echoing through the air as they clashed in a whirlwind of violence and fury.

As the brawl erupted between Joe and Trevor, the living room area became a chaotic battleground, a clash of fists and fury, each blow resonating with the weight of their pent-up emotions. Jasmine stood frozen in place, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched the violent confrontation unfold before her eyes and the people living nearby were also in suspense as they could hear the commotion.

Joe fought with a ferocity born of righteous anger, his every movement fueled by the desperate need to protect Jasmine from further harm. Despite the pain and exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him, he refused to back down, his resolve unyielding in the face of adversity.

With each punch and kick to their bodies, Joe landed a devastating blow against Jasmine's abuser, his relentless assault driving the man to his knees in a bloody haze of pain and defeat as he slung Trevor against a glass table, where the shards of glass pierced through his skin and blood was dripping all across the area. But even as victory seemed within reach, Joe's own strength began to waver, his body battered and bruised from the brutal onslaught.

Struggling to remain upright, Joe staggered back, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he fought to keep his balance from exhaustion. The room spun around him in a dizzying blur, the world tilting precariously on its axis.

With a final burst of adrenaline-fueled strength, Joe unleashed one last desperate assault, his fists raining down on his adversary while Trevor was still lying on the floor in a bloodied mess, Joe once again staggered backwards, his own body battered and bruised from the ferocity of Trevor's hands.

With one final effort, he summoned the last reserves of his strength, his determination unyielding as he stood tall against the storm and her abuser was still knocked down to the ground with glass all over his body. Trevor continued to lay there in agony while Joe sent a glare his way with his upper lip twitching in disgust.

After everything that transpired between the two and Joe had won the fight, Jasmine approached Joe with trembling hands, her eyes brimming with tears of gratitude and relief.

"Thank you, Joe..." she whispered, her voice barely a breathless murmur as she reached out to steady him. "You saved me."

But as Joe looked into her broken eyes, he knew that it wasn't just Jasmine he had saved, but himself in the process. In that moment of reckoning, he had found redemption in the act of defending the woman he cared about; his own wounds pale in comparison to the healing power of their shared resilience.

For a moment, there was only silence between them. And as Jasmine rushed to Joe's side, her heart overflowing with gratitude and relief, she knew that no matter what the future held between them, they would face it together.

Joe then walked beside her as they both left the place, his own body aching with the remnants of the fierce struggle. Despite the physical toll it had taken on him, his primary concern was for Jasmine; her well-being, her safety, her fragile heart battered by years of abuse.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Joe murmured softly, his voice tinged with regret as he cast a sideways glance at Jasmine. "I never thought you were in such a bad position, I..."

Jasmine shook her head, her expression a mix of exhaustion and disbelief. "No, it's not your fault," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "You were just trying to protect me. I... I don't know what I would've done without you."

Her words hung in the air between them, a silent acknowledgment of the bond that had formed between them amidst the chaos and turmoil. Despite the darkness that had threatened to consume them both, they had found comfort in each other's presence, a beacon of hope in a world fraught with danger and uncertainty.

As they continued on their way, Jasmine knew that she wasn't alone; that together, they could face whatever challenges lay ahead, no matter how daunting they may seem. And as they disappeared into the darkness, their footsteps echoing against the pavement, they clung to each other as if their lives depended on it, finding strength in the process.

While the two continued to walk down the empty and vacant streets, Jasmine's face was a mask of mortification and anxiety, her attempts to hide her emotions only serving to betray the turmoil raging within her and although she was the master of faking a smile, Joe started to grow suspicious and his eyebrow raised slightly upwards.

Despite her efforts to bury her past and shield her emotions from view when it came to Joe, he could see right through the facade she so desperately tried to maintain.

"Hey," Joe murmured softly, reaching out to gently touch her arm in a silent gesture of comfort. "You don't have to pretend with me, Jasmine. I can see that you're hurting."

Jasmine flinched at his gentle touch, her gaze flickering as she struggled to find the words to express the emotions that she was feeling. For so long, she had buried her pain deep within, shielding herself from the vulnerability of allowing others to see the scars that damaged her soul.

But with Joe by her side, she found herself unable to keep up the lies and pretending as if everything were fine. With a shaky breath, she turned to him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as she finally allowed herself to lower the walls she had spent years building around her heart. She felt as if she could trust Joe. Especially after his bravery to beat down her abuser. Nobody else even dared to protect her before, until he stepped into her life.

"I'm sorry, Joe," she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought I could handle it on my own, but... I'm just so tired of pretending like everything's okay when it's not."

Joe's heart ached at the raw honesty in her words, the vulnerability she showed in opening up to him, despite the fear and uncertainty that threatened to overwhelm her. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his embrace, offering her the comfort and support she so desperately craved from a man.

"You don't have to face this alone," he reassured her, his voice a gentle whisper against her ear. "I'm here for you, Jasmine. Whatever you need, whatever you're going through, I'll be right here by your side. Always."