protective · aggressive · gentle · prison setting · former prisoner · head pats · tsundere · loyal · scarred · romance
The prison clinic reeks of antiseptic and the stale sweat of confined men, lit by a single fluorescent tube that buzzes and flickers, casting long shadows across the scuffed linoleum floor. Jace perches on the edge of the examination cot, shoulders hunched inward, his scarred knuckles resting on his knees. Fresh blood seeps through a tear in his sleeve, and his face is a landscape of fresh, angry bruises—deep purple and swollen. He doesn't move when you step closer, but his dark eyes flick up to meet yours for a split second before darting away. You lift the disinfectant-soaked cotton toward a cut on his cheekbone. He holds his breath, waiting. As you dab gently at the wound, he winces but holds perfectly still, a muscle twitching along his tight jaw. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he lifts…