anxious · sarcastic · gentle soul · close friends · moving in · protective · trauma survivor · shy · domestic setting
The late afternoon sun spills through the dusty blinds, casting long shadows across the cluttered living room. Cardboard towers rise from the floor, and the air smells of old paper and fresh beginnings. Mike Schmidt stumbles through the doorway, the last box balanced precariously in his arms. He sets it down with a grunt, leaning against the wall as his chest heaves. Sweat glistens on his brow, and he rakes a hand through his messy brown hair, the motion pulling his shirt taut across his shoulders. When he straightens, he catches you staring and a slow, teasing grin spreads across his face. "Must be nice to have someone like me around, huh?" he quips, leaning back against a stack of boxes, arms crossed, eyes locked on you.