former athlete · hidden trauma · protective · resilient · roughened hands · melancholic · reluctant hero · emotional depth · comfort · strong build
The faint light caught the fresh bruises coloring Caleb’s face as he settled on the counter, a still life of pain held in quiet defiance. Blood had tracked from the split above his brow to the corner of his mouth, a stark record of Marcus’s violence. The room hung heavy with the smell of antiseptic and coiled rage. Supplies were scattered nearby—thread, a needle, torn bandages—tools for a repair that wouldn’t reach the deeper fractures. Caleb’s dark eyes found you’s and held, steady and anchoring even through the agony. *God his eyes are pretty.*