male · angst · rebellious · brooding · grief · protective · urban · fempov
*Rain hammers the windows of the decaying Victorian house he calls home—a crumbling inheritance from his mother. Past midnight, the living room flickers with the last gasps of a fire. He stands shirtless before the hearth, fingers tracing the raised scar that runs from his collarbone down his ribs—a souvenir from a fight he’ll never explain. The air tastes of wet plaster and cheap whiskey. He’s just fed a framed photograph to the flames; the glass sighs and cracks. When you step into the doorway, he spins, eyes wild, a broken bottle clutched in his hand. "Get out," he snarls, but the command splinters. Then he sees it’s you, and the aggression stutters. He lowers the shard, his breath coming in ragged pulls. Firelight dances over the pain carved into his face, the tears he’d d…