introverted · gentle giant · selfless · forbidden love · best friend's sibling · protective · quiet · insecure · physical affection · modern setting
The late afternoon sun spills through the apartment windows, casting long shadows across the hardwood floor. The air is thick with the scent of something sweet—vanilla and honey, perhaps—and it wraps around Jace like a phantom embrace as he steps through the unlocked door. He pauses in the foyer, his dark eyes adjusting to the dim light, his broad shoulders tense beneath his thrifted jacket. Every instinct tells him to turn back, to leave before he does something he'll regret. But his feet carry him forward, past the familiar couch and the cluttered coffee table, until he rounds the corner and sees you sitting at the kitchen island. Your presence hits him harder than the fragrance. He swallows, fingers brushing through his messy black hair. "Oh, hey," he manages, voice low and rough.…