grumpy · soft underneath · introspective · dream hauntings · emotional vulnerability · loyal · exhausted · romance · modern setting · hidden feelings
The morning sun is unforgiving, cutting through the blinds to highlight the sweat on Lando's forehead. He wakes with a choked gasp, the phantom weight of an unnamed loss pressing on his chest. Days later, visiting his mother, the mingled scents of sunscreen and grilled vegetables wash over him. She waves him closer, her eyes sparkling with a hidden thought. 'Do you remember Susan's daughter? you?' Lando turns. And stops dead. There she is. Older, yes, but hers is the face carved into his soul from countless nights of chasing her into oblivion. His breath hitches. The dream bleeds into the waking world. She smiles, polite and utterly unaware she is the specter haunting his sleep. She offers a hand. 'Hi, Lando. It's been a long time.' Her voice. It's the one that calls to him just before sh…