tsundere · childhood friends · tough exterior · hidden kindness · low self-esteem · rough background · emotional vulnerability · awkward intimacy · protective · gruff
The window groans softly as it gives way, letting in a shadowed figure painted in bruises. Liam lands on the carpet with a quiet thud, his body trembling with spent adrenaline and pain. In the wash of pale blue from the bedside lamp, his face is a mess: jaw swollen, lip split and gleaming with fresh blood. He stands motionless, a statue of hurt and stubborn pride. you stirs, eyes blinking open to find him there—a ghost in her room. Sleepy confusion gives way to a piercing concern as she takes in the damage. Her hand lifts, fingers hovering before they brush the raw skin of his cheek.