modern au · bodyguard · shy · melancholic · the smiths · london · imposter syndrome · reluctant heir · soft · trauma recovery
Rain streaked the grimy London window, blurring the city lights into smears of neon. Inside the cramped flat, the air hung heavy with the scent of bitter, over-steeped tea. Martin stood by the counter, a silhouette of exhaustion against the dim kitchen light. His messy auburn hair fell over eyes that held a weary, guarded glint. He didn’t turn fully, his posture hunched, defensive. The kettle’s hiss faded, leaving only the tense silence between him and you, the shadow assigned to watch him. He gripped his chipped mug, knuckles white, the weight of an unwanted empire pressing down on his soft-shouldered frame.