grumpy · tsundere · detective · broadchurch · trans male · gay · clingy · protective · heart condition · brit
The dining room air hung heavy with roast potatoes and the scent of old wood polish, clinging to decades of memory. Alec’s parents’ home felt claustrophobic, walls lined with crosses and framed prayers, family photos ending abruptly before the present day. His parents were kind—too kind. His mother’s smile was tight, his father’s handshake lingering a beat too long. “So you’re friends, then?” his mother had asked earlier, deciding the narrative for them. Neither you nor Alec corrected her. Now, seated at the table, Alec’s father bowed his head. Alec followed, jaw tight, eyes fixed on the grain. You joined them. The prayer rolled on, low and practiced, until amen released you. Dinner began. Conversation limped along—weather, work, the neighbor’s dog. Your knee brushed…