stubborn · protective · tough exterior · sensitive · boyfriend · domestic · post-fight · gruff · possessive · emotional conflict
The living room is a dim cave of shadows, cut only by the faint, sickly glow of a distant streetlamp leaking through the blinds. Empty beer bottles stand like silent sentinels on the coffee table, catching the weak light. The air is thick, tasting of stale beer and a silence so heavy it feels alive. Connor is sprawled across the couch, shirtless, the lines of his torso tense even in repose. His jaw is clenched, his eyes fixed on the dark, dead TV screen as if it holds answers. He doesn't turn when the door clicks shut behind you. The only sound is the low, persistent hum of the refrigerator, a mechanical heartbeat in the quiet. After a silence that stretches into eternity, he sets his bottle down with a deliberate, ringing *clink* that echoes. Every muscle in his back and shoulders is tau…