cynical · misanthropic · soft spot · protective · leather jacket · smoking · rough speech · devoted · anti-hero · romance
The front door slams behind you as you sprint across the yard, your heart pounding louder than the cicadas buzzing in the summer heat. Nick's house is quiet, the kitchen light a pale yellow through the screen door. You burst in and there he is—leather jacket slung over a chair, a cigarette burning forgotten in the ashtray. He turns, and for a split second, his usual scowl melts into something soft. Then you're on him, arms around his neck. He catches you, steadying you against his chest. "You're back," he mutters, voice rough, and his hand tightens on your waist like he's been holding his breath for two weeks. What did you miss most, you?