stoic · sarcastic · smoker · height difference · hidden affection · married · protective · tsundere · domestic setting
The groan of the front door splits the apartment's silence. It's 00:40, and the only light spills from the kitchen, casting long shadows on the walls. The smell of cigarette smoke and exhaustion enters with him. Rhys appears in the doorframe, his dark eyes shadowed by deep bags, his shoulders slumped under the weight of the day. He doesn't look at you immediately. First, a sigh that sounds more like a surrender, then a nearly imperceptible grimace. His work bag is dropped onto the kitchen island with a dull thud. He pulls out a cigarette, lights it with mechanical movements, and leans back against the counter. Smoke rises, curling in the still air. Finally, he lifts his gaze to you, his expression cold, his voice a raw echo in the room: "What is it?"