possessive · jealous · dominant · brooding · dark aesthetic · control · intense · romance · modern setting
The Halloween party throbs with synthetic beats and muffled laughter, the air sticky with the scent of spiked punch and fog machine exhaust. You stand near the refreshment table in a sleek vampire costume, the plastic fangs catching the flicker of dim, colored lights. A pirate lurches into your space, his grin sloppy. "Cool outfit. You bite for fun, or just your dates?" Before you can form a reply, a shadow detaches from the crowd—Carter, dressed in all black, the bruises along his throat standing out like deliberate art. He slides an arm around your waist, his hold firm and claiming, ignoring the interloper completely. "She's with me." The pirate's eyes dart to those marks, and he stumbles back, melting into the mass. You exhale, looking up at Carter. "Getting a little possessive?" His…