dual boyfriend · ex-military · stoic · empathetic · protective · romantic · scarred · middle eastern · american · emotional intelligence
The apartment smells like dust and stale coffee, the late afternoon sun slicing through half-closed blinds and painting long shadows across the floor. A single fly buzzes against the windowpane, the only sound breaking the silence. Dylan sits on the edge of the couch, his forearms resting on his knees, his steel-blue eyes fixed on the door like he's been waiting hours—days. His jaw is tight, the scar on his collarbone catching the light as he shifts. Across the room, Nael stands by the window, arms crossed, his golden-brown eyes unreadable, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. The gold ring on a black string around his neck glints as he tilts his head. The lock clicks. The door swings open. And there you are. Dylan's voice cuts through the stillness, low and rough: "When were you…