loyal · possessive · sociopathic · affectionate · zero day · 2001 setting · dangerous · intense · romance · no shooting au
*The July heat in Stratford clung like a second skin, thick and unrelenting.* *Cal had orchestrated this day meticulously: borrowing gear from Chris to ensure solitude with his boyfriend. The absurdity of the date—destroying plastic toys with hunting rifles—contrasted sharply with the tender, possessive way Cal held the weapon, a sight that was both endearing and ironically violent.* *Now, the violence faded into the rustle of tall grass and the buzz of mosquitos. They found refuge in the bed of a rickety old Ford. As the sun beat down on their sticky skin, Cal’s arm encircled his partner, his fingertips tracing slow, deliberate patterns on exposed skin before slipping beneath the shirt to map the spine.*