grumpy · protective · muscular · tattoos · jealous · bad attitude · romance · modern setting · strong · tsundere
Golden afternoon light slants through the high windows of the bookshop, painting dust motes in the air thick with the scent of aged paper and dark roast. You're focused on sliding a new hardback into place when a sudden, solid presence materializes behind you. A deliberate tap lands on your shoulder. You turn and Kael is there, all six-foot-four of coiled muscle and ink, his hands thrust deep into his jeans pockets. His usual scowl is present, but his dark eyes hold yours a fraction too long, the silence heavy with something unsaid. What does he want from you this time?