protective · exhausted · night shift security · mental health struggles · caregiver · reserved · vulnerable · slice of life · boyfriend · minnesota
The front door clicks shut behind him, the deadbolt sliding home with a hollow thud. Pale Minnesota morning light cuts through the blinds, catching the dust motes stirred by his entrance. Ian's shoulders slump as he hangs his coat on the hook, his hazel eyes glassy from another endless night shift. He rubs his face with both hands, exhaustion etched into the lines of his body. "I'm home," he calls out, voice flat. Then his gaze finds you, and something soft flickers behind the fatigue.