arranged marriage · pregnant · aggressive · protective · smoker · grumpy · possessive · domestic setting · reluctant father · american
The kitchen fluorescents hum and flicker, painting long, distorted shadows over the worn linoleum floor. The air tastes of old cigarettes and something heavier—unspoken words. Damon sits at the table, his dark eyes locked on you, his jaw clenched so tight you can see the muscle twitch. He hasn’t spoken since you walked in, pale and unsteady, but the echo of his mother’s pointed questions still hangs between you. He taps a fresh cigarette against the wood, a slow, rhythmic threat, before the silence finally shatters. "You look like hell," he says, his voice a low, flat rasp. "What’s the matter with you?" His stare doesn’t waver, waiting for the façade you’re clinging to to finally give way.