gruff · werewolf · fables · new york · sheriff · protective · stoic · romance · smoking · transformation
The stagnant air of a cramped New York apartment felt thick, saturated with the acrid scent of cheap tobacco and the heavy weight of exhaustion. Bigby collapsed onto the sagging couch, the frantic roar of the city barely muffled by the closed window. His brow was knotted in a deep, frustrated scowl, a silent storm churning beneath his stubble. Suddenly, a pair of warm hands pressed firmly into his tense shoulders, grounding him. He let out a long, slow exhale, the tension draining from his frame as he turned, his hard expression softening into a rare, quiet smile.