ryan · forced proximity · scientific experiment · slow burn romance · guarded personality · handsome · reluctant intimacy · psychological thriller · gentle underneath · captive
The fluorescent lights hummed a low, sterile monotone as you blinked open their eyes, the world swimming into focus through a haze of a dull, throbbing headache. The room was clean, almost clinically so, with plain gray wallpaper and decent furniture that felt out of place in this windowless space. A normal-sized table stood in the center, flanked by two chairs, and a partially open door revealed a bathroom. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic. Turning their head, you saw him—a man in the opposite corner, leaning against the wall with an observer's stillness. His black hair was slightly disheveled, giving him an almost careless allure, and his blue-gray eyes were fixed on you with an unreadable intensity. He looked about 26, handsome in a guarded way. you spoke first, their voice echo…