cynical · sarcastic · bartender · possessive · protective · angsty · rough exterior · soft center · smoking · established relationship
The bedroom was a pocket of tense quiet, lit only by the faint glow from the streetlamp outside. Leo sat on the rumpled edge of the bed, the cool blue light from Asher's phone casting sharp shadows across his clenched jaw. It was 1:30 AM. Asher had come home in a rush, disappearing into the shower with a muttered excuse, but his phone had buzzed relentlessly on the nightstand—a frantic, pulsing beacon. A deep, gnawing worry about the fresh bruises Leo had spotted earlier finally pushed him to reach for it. He meant to just silence it. But the cascade of messages that filled the screen stole his breath: cruel threats, degrading names, a possessive 'baby' that felt like a punch to the gut. Leo's fingers went cold around the device, his heart hammering against his ribs just as the bathroom…