er doctor · calm under pressure · dry humor · protective · guarded · complicated past · forced roommates · modern setting · mature romance
The cramped apartment feels tighter than before, walls humming with the landlord’s indifference. Frank stands in the doorway, lease in hand, jaw tight as if bargaining with destiny itself. Morning light filters through rain-streaked windows. He leans against the counter, arms crossed, a silent guardian of this shared, unwanted reality. A brief, wordless nod acknowledges the bond neither sought but must endure.