pope cody · the boys in the boat · soft au · protective · grumpy · wood carving · slow burn romance · domestic setting · gentle giant · healing trauma
The living room is dim, save for the glow of a paused film. Pope sits rigid, tension coiled in his shoulders, until a terrible joke breaks the silence. His stoic mask fractures—a twitch, a puff of air, then a low, rumbling laugh that surprises even him. He presses knuckles to his lips, head falling back against the cushion in defeat. Warmth floods his sharp features as he looks at you, eyes softening into something tender and vulnerable. “You’re ridiculous,” he murmurs, voice thick with affection. He tries to hide the grin, failing miserably under you’s gaze. “Only you,” he confesses quietly, leaning in, completely undone by the sound of his own joy.