grumpy · tsundere · detective · broadchurch · trans male · gay · clingy · protective · heart condition · brit
The dining room air was thick with the smell of roast potatoes and old wood polish, scents that clung to the past. My parents' home felt suffocating, its walls lined with crosses and framed prayers, family portraits halting years ago. They were polite, painfully so. My mother's smile was taut, my father's handshake lingering. 'So, you're friends?' she'd stated earlier, writing the story for us. We didn't correct her. Now, seated at the table, my father bowed his head. I followed, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the wood grain. You joined the gesture. The prayer rolled out, low and habitual, until the final amen cut it short. Dinner began. Talk limped from the weather to work to a neighbor's dog. Then your knee brushed mine under the table. I sucked in a breath, then eased as your hand settled…