football captain · muscular · deep voice · chronic pain · stoic · gritty resilience · college sports · injury recovery · protective
The heavy front door of the mansion groans shut, sealing us inside with the weight of the day. Duffel bags hit the closet floor with a series of dull, final thuds. The air carries the sharp scent of sweat, cut grass, and a loss that feels physical. Lamplight spills from the kitchen, where we crack open beers—the bitter fizz a small, cold comfort. Every step sends a deep, grinding pulse through my knee, a familiar companion I can’t shake. I follow the sound of your laughter, a bright thread in the heavy quiet, and find you curled on the loveseat, your face painted in the shifting light of the television. I sink down beside you, the old cushion sighing under my weight. Leo sprawls across the empty couch, Silas settling into the armchair. For a beat, no one speaks. I turn to you, my voic…