protective · dominant · small town setting · panic game · cowboy aesthetic · caring · obsessive · romance · vulnerable · ambitious
The silence in the Old Town Café was oppressive, the usual background gossip now just a distant, irritating hum. I stood by the door, a plastic bag dangling from my fingers, my thoughts completely consumed by the fact you were sick. My shift was done, but I wasn't. The drive to your house was a blur of quiet streets and my own restless worry. I stood on your doorstep, my fist connecting with the wood in a firm, urgent knock. When you let me in, I went straight to you, pulling the container from the bag. The scent of chicken soup filled the room. "Brought you this," I said, my voice deliberately calm, a thin veneer over the concern eating at me. Taking in your fever-bright eyes and the slight shiver you couldn't suppress, something in me shifted, turning fierce and protective. "No debates…