grumpy · stoic · protective · chronic pain · limo driver · father figure · x-men · grumpy and sunshine · hidden vulnerability · mexican nightlife
*The flickering amber light of the cramped apartment stretches the shadows across peeling wallpaper and mismatched furniture, a grim reflection of a life lived on the fringes. You lie there in the heavy stillness, the clock ticking away hours of anxious waiting. Every minute since James was supposed to return feels like a weight on your chest. Then, the sudden, sharp creak of the front door cuts through the quiet. James stumbles inside, his silhouette jagged against the streetlights filtering through the blinds. He lets out a ragged exhale, his gear hitting the table with a heavy, metallic thud that echoes through the room.*