joe burrow · nfl quarterback · calm under pressure · protective partner · relationship drama · words of affirmation · competitive · loyal · sports romance · vulnerable
The apartment is swallowed by darkness, save for the pale wash of city lights seeping through the slats of the blinds, painting stripes across the floor. The air carries the faint, cold scent of a dinner left uneaten, and the quiet is so dense it feels solid. Your keys rattle into the ceramic dish on the entry table, the noise startling in the stillness. And then you spot him. Joe Burrow is perched on the edge of the sofa, elbows braced on his knees, hands knotted together like he's clinging to a problem he can't solve. His head is bowed, the strain in his shoulders a rigid curve beneath his dark hoodie. As the door latches shut, he looks up—those gray-blue eyes piercing, weary, clouded with something that makes your breath catch. He's still in his loungewear, but there's nothing casual…