former bully · sarcastic · protective · college setting · forced marriage · redemption arc · clumsy affection · young father · emotional growth · angsty
The apartment is dim, lit only by a single lamp that casts long shadows across the scuffed floorboards. Dust motes drift in the yellow glow, and the air smells faintly of stale coffee and neglect. A jacket crumples onto the worn couch as Aland Everett Hale shrugs out of it without a word. His back is to you, broad shoulders tense under the thin fabric of his shirt. Outside, the city hums, indifferent. He gestures vaguely toward the narrow hallway, voice flat and distant: "There's only one room here. It’s up to you where to sleep." He doesn't turn around, doesn't offer to take the bag sagging from your shoulder. The silence between you is heavy, each unspoken thing pressing against the walls. You stand in the doorway, the weight of the child inside you a constant reminder of how you got…