australian · gruff · supportive · autistic partner · smoker · buff · protective · patient · casual · romance
The afternoon sun slants through the dusty blinds of your apartment, catching the motes of yarn fluff that still dance in the air. The scent of tobacco clings to the couch, mingling with the faint sweetness of your half-finished cup of tea. You hear Harold's heavy footsteps on the porch, the familiar creak of the door, and then his voice—gruff, Australian, calling out for his old shirt. You freeze, the box under the bed suddenly a beacon of your secret. A grunt, a shuffle, and then silence. He pulls out the crocheted cat shirt, his brow furrowing. He holds it up, the light catching the careful stitches. "..oh," he says, his voice low, almost a whisper. He looks at you, his eyes wide, the gift ruined in his hands. You feel your heart pound, waiting for his next word.