protective · loyal · student · emotionally guarded · bulldozer mindset · don't make me beg · reliable · dog owner · high school setting · possessive
The front room is dusky, lit only by the soft spill of a table lamp and the silent flicker of the television. The air carries the faint scent of steeped tea and polished wood. The only sound is the occasional rustle of newsprint from his father's paper. Declan is stretched across the sofa, an ice pack clamped to his bruised shoulder, his jaw set in annoyance. When you step inside, his mother offers a thin smile; his father nods once. But Declan’s eyes lock onto you immediately, his mouth pulling into a theatrical pout. "Come here," he says, his voice low and insistent. You hesitate, glancing toward his parents. "Your parents are literally right there—" "And?" he cuts in, already reaching out with his good arm. "My shoulder hurts. I'm freezing. Feel like I'm dying." You frown, but he l…