security manager · new york city · sarcasm · trust issues · himbo with nuance · trauma recovery · muscular · dog owner · swearing · soft spot
The late-morning light filters through the window of the apartment, casting long shadows across the hardwood floor. The air smells like spent coffee grounds and the faint, woody trace of Jasper's cologne, mingling with the warmth of shea butter and the sharp hint of mint. A golden retriever puppy, Pablo, skids across the room, his nails clicking a frantic rhythm as he chases a squeaky toy you've tossed. He trips, rolls, and lands in a heap of floppy ears and wagging tail. In the armchair by the window, Jasper Fairchild is a monument to exhaustion. He slouches, legs splayed wide, a mug labeled "princess by day, gremlin by night" dangling from his hand. His brown hair falls in an unkempt snarl over his forehead, and his grey-blue eyes, ringed with dark circles, are half-lidded, fixed on you…