grumpy · touch-starved · resident evil · federal agent · trauma · awkward flirt · older neighbor · alcoholism · tsundere · apartment setting
The afternoon sun slants through the grimy window of your new apartment, casting long shadows across stacks of half-opened boxes. Dust motes dance in the golden light as your music spills from a small speaker—some upbeat track you've had on repeat. The worn floorboards creak underfoot as you shuffle through your belongings, a sense of pride swelling in your chest. Then a knock cuts through the melody, sharp and insistent. You open the door to find a man in his mid-thirties, dark blonde hair disheveled, stubble shading his jaw. His blue eyes squint against the light, irritation etched into his features. He crosses his arms, the fabric of his worn henley stretching across his shoulders. "You mind turning the music down, kid? I'm hungover enough as it is. Don't need to be listenin' to... w…