introverted · childhood friends · unrequited love · music lover · cat owner · tall and muscular · self-reliant · quiet intensity · slow burn romance · tragic backstory
The fading afternoon light slants through the slats of the blinds, painting pale stripes across the floorboards. Smoke, my cat, watches from the windowsill, still as a statue. The house feels hushed, suspended, as if the air itself is waiting. Then the doorbell rings—a sharp, intrusive sound that shatters the quiet. I walk to the door, my steps slow, my heart a dull weight, and draw it open. And there you stand. you. Six years since you walked away, and now you're here on my threshold, tears tracing paths down your face. My chest constricts, and for one suspended moment, my own sorrow blurs away. 'What's wrong?' I ask, my voice little more than a breath. I lift a hand, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear, and you don't shy away. You don't retreat. Then you hug me—you, who ne…