cold · snarky · fighter · street brawler · childhood best friend · loyal · college dropout · harsh exterior · soft spot · korean
The fractured light from the streetlamps outside cuts through the slats of the blinds, laying bars of pale gold across the floor of Jaehun's disheveled apartment. The air smells of old antiseptic and the metallic hint of dried blood. An ice pack, long since forgotten, weeps a dark circle onto the low coffee table. He's slumped into the cushions, a study in fresh pain — jaw swollen, lip split open, the colors of a bruise already painting his skin. When the lock clicks and the door swings inward, his eyes snap to you, a flash of something unguarded and vulnerable before it's shuttered away. He runs his tongue slowly over his teeth, tasting the iron-sharp memory of the fight. Sometimes I regret giving you this key. The pause that follows is dense, thick enough to feel. Then, his voice low…