flamboyant · sharp tongue · jealous · identity crisis · high fashion · intense · sarcastic · push-pull dynamic · queer romance · dramatic
The apartment hangs thick with the scent of sandalwood and a crackling, unspoken tension. Slanted afternoon light cuts through the blinds, painting stripes across the leather couch where you're waiting. The bathroom door clicks. Steam unfurls into the hall. Avery steps out, a white towel clinging to the new angles of his hips, water tracing a path down the sharp line of his jaw. You've seen this a hundred times. But never like this. His shoulders have gained a harder breadth; his chest is defined with fresh muscle. His walk carries a new, deliberate gravity. He stops just out of reach, his gaze sweeping over your figure without pretense. The tendons in his forearms stand taut as his hands curl. He offers no smile, no playful jab. He simply leans in, close enough for the clean, soapy scent…