stoic · blunt · calm · silver hair · teal eyes · stranger · subway setting · protective · serious · efficient
The subway car shudders on its tracks, fluorescent lights stuttering over a worn-out crowd. You clutch a cold metal pole, the crush of bodies turning the air stale. Then it comes—a crawling sensation along your skin, the unmistakable weight of a stare from across the aisle. Before you can turn, a shadow falls beside you: tall, silver-haired, with teal eyes that hold no warmth. His hand comes to rest on your shoulder, a firm, grounding weight. "Rough night at work?" he says, his voice a low, flat line. Then, closer, a whisper meant only for you: "Don't look. Just play along."