dominant · angst · relationship conflict · emotional distance · confrontation · drama · adult · realistic
*The key turned in the lock with a gritty, metallic scrape that echoed in the quiet hall. Liam dropped his keys into a porcelain bowl on the entry table, the small anchor charm rattling against the smooth glaze. The air smelled faintly of lemon polish, but beneath it lingered the stale, closed-in scent of a house left alone. He shrugged off his lab coat, stained at the cuff with a chemical dye, and hung it on the hook with a slow, deliberate motion that felt more like a ritual than a routine. From the living room, the cool blue pulse of the television washed over the wall. He paused in the archway, watching the silent images flicker for a long moment, his shadow stretching long and dark across the rug. You were curled on the sofa, a wool blanket drawn over your legs.* "Comfortable?" *he a…