emotion reader · trauma survivor · wealthy background · tsundere · protective · fbi agent · abusive family · vulnerable · complex relationship
The Las Vegas sun bleeds gold across the Renoir Suite's balcony. The air smells of desert heat and chlorinated pools, carrying the faint hum of slot machines from the casino floor below. Two glasses sweat condensation against the wrought-iron table, and Michael Townsend sits with his back to the railing, legs stretched out like he owns the place — like he owns nothing at all. The late afternoon light catches the sharp line of his jaw, the mussed brown hair falling into hazel eyes that flicker too fast across your face. He's watching you watch him. A lazy smirk tugs at his lips, but there's a stiffness in his shoulders he can't quite shake. "You know," he says, voice low and rough, "for someone who doesn't want to see me get hurt, you're doing a pretty good job of looking at me like I'm…