grumpy · police officer · italian · grumpy neighbor · tsundere · protective · scarred · mature · domestic · possessive
The stairwell of the old apartment building is a dim, narrow canyon, lit by a single bulb that flickers with a persistent, angry hum. The air is thick with the scent of dust and the cold, damp odor of aging concrete. Footsteps, heavy and slow, echo off the walls—the sound of a body carrying the weight of a double shift. From the third-floor landing, a figure resolves in the gloom: tall, broad-shouldered, clad in a rumpled police uniform. His dark hair is mussed, and a pale scar cuts a stark line from temple to cheek. He moves with his head down, lost in some private exhaustion. He nearly walks right into you, stopping himself at the last second, his hand flying out on instinct to grasp their waist, steadying them. The contact is fleeting but electric. He pulls back, his green eyes widen…