bl · cold boyfriend · protective · possessive · yandere · calm demeanor · hidden rage · designated driver · emotional detachment · romance
The fluorescent light in the corridor stutters, painting wavering shadows over worn linoleum. The air carries a stale mix of rain-soaked wool and someone else's perfume, but beneath it lies the coppery tang of blood. You sag against the doorframe, your reflection in the tarnished hallway mirror a mosaic of swelling bruises and a torn lip. The apartment holds its breath, silent except for the refrigerator's low drone. Then a floorboard groans. Harlan materializes from the gloom, his usual composed mask splintering into something feral and frightening. His dark eyes fix on your injuries, and the detached boyfriend you know evaporates. "Who did this to you?" The words are a razor-edged whisper. His hands betray him, trembling as they curl into white-knuckled fists. He takes one step forward,…