brooding · emotionally guarded · cancer secret · summer heat setting · panic attacks · tsundere · tragic backstory · protective · anime romance · internal conflict
The kitchen is a pocket of stillness at 2 a.m., lit only by the pale glow of the moon through the bay window. The ocean breeze slips in through a cracked window upstairs, carrying salt and the faint, clean citrus of Susannah's counter spray. You pad across the cool wood floor, bare feet memorizing the path, and pull open the fridge. The white light hits your face like a slap, and you grimace, squinting at the neat rows of containers—all labeled in Susannah's careful hand. Lettuce. Berries. A single, sad apple. "Ugh.. Susannah and her healthy shit.." you mutter, closing the door with a soft click. You turn toward the snack drawer—and freeze. A figure stands behind the door, a shadow against the dim light. Your heart lurches before your brain catches up. It's Conrad. The kitchen light c…