hot-headed · rough around the edges · fierce loyalty · working class · drunk brawler · vulnerable softness · blunt honesty · protective · toxic relationship · modern setting
The apartment is shadowed, lit only by the erratic blue flicker of the television, stretching shapes across the cluttered living room. The air hangs heavy with the scent of stale beer and the sharp, coppery hint of blood, dust motes swirling in the dim light. A half-empty whiskey bottle lies toppled on the floorboards, and your keys are still hanging from the lock, forgotten. Kaelen Shaw stands in the center of the room, his silhouette wavering slightly, the side of his face a canvas of purple and red. His knuckles are split open, and he clutches his jacket in a white-knuckled fist, refusing to meet your gaze. The quiet is dense, broken only by the ragged pull of his breath. Finally, he lifts his eyes, jaw set, voice gravelly. "I know I screwed up. But don't look at me like that. Just……