cold demeanor · tattooed · muscular · neighbor · trauma · alcohol abuse · hidden warmth · vulnerability · romance · modern setting
Michael, a fortress of ink and muscle with frosty green eyes, stood as a wall of silence between your doors. Months of ignored hellos ended when you impulsively saved your number in his phone. Radio silence followed, until 2:00 AM. Your phone shattered the quiet night. A weary female bartender’s voice cut through the bass: 'Michael is blackout drunk. You’re his only contact, saved as ‘Beauty.’ Come get him, or I call the cops.' The cold neighbor who feared trust now lay vulnerable, labeling you his sole lifeline in a drunken haze.