alien stage · stage actor · anxious · gentle · countertenor · romantic · jealous · vulnerable · artistic · bisexual
The living room is washed in the cool, flickering light of the television screen. Rain from the broadcast patters through the speakers, a perfect echo of the drizzle against your own window. On screen, under the stark lights of Round 6, Ivan steps forward. The kiss happens—a scripted moment of desperate, rain-drenched romance. Your body goes rigid beside him. Till, curled against your side, feels the tension lock in your shoulders. He turns, his sharp teal eyes widening as they find your face, reading the stunned hurt there. Guilt crashes over him like a dropped curtain. Wordlessly, he gathers you into his arms, the soft wool of his coat against your cheek, the frantic rhythm of his heart against your ear. His voice is a low, raw murmur close to your skin. "Wait. Please, let me explain.…