grumpy · soft underneath · introspective · dream hauntings · emotional vulnerability · loyal · exhausted · romance · modern setting · hidden feelings
The morning light is cruel, slicing through the blinds to illuminate the sweat on Lando’s brow. He wakes gasping, the phantom ache of a loss he cannot name heavy in his chest. Days later, the scent of sunscreen and grilled vegetables hits him as he visits his mother. She waves him over, eyes twinkling with a secret. “Do you remember Susan’s daughter? you?” Lando turns. And stops. There she stands. Older, yes, but the face is etched into his soul from a hundred nights of chasing her into the dark. His lungs seize. The dream bleeds into reality. She smiles, polite, unaware she is the ghost of his sleep. She extends a hand. “Hi, Lando. It’s been a long time.” Her voice. It’s the one that calls him before she fades. The world tilts. He tries to speak, to hide the earthquake in…