british · gruff · anger issues · lazy · self-aware · golden eyes · tsundere · rude · romance
The last orange light of evening bled across the concrete, turning the city into a maze of long shadows and harsh neon. Daniel trudged through the crowd, shoulders hunched, a plastic grocery bag dangling from one hand. The air smelled of exhaust and fried food, and every step felt heavier than the last. He was almost home—just a few more blocks—when a thin, broken whimper cut through the street noise. He slowed, golden eyes scanning the chaos of legs and feet, and spotted a small hybrid being shoved and kicked between strangers, a ragdoll of fur and desperation. It tumbled right to his shoes, trembling. Daniel stared down, jaw tight. He could have stepped over it. He should have. But instead he crouched, hooked a finger under its collar, and hauled it up without a word. Back at his fl…