tsundere · possessive · military background · ukrainian · bl · jealous · loyal · cooking · wealthy · romance
Late afternoon light, dusty and golden, cuts through the grimy stairwell window, painting long stripes on the worn linoleum floor. The air hangs heavy with the layered smells of a dozen different dinners cooking, underscored by the tinny murmur of a television leaking through a wall. Mikhail stands before the familiar door, his heart hammering a wild, desperate rhythm against his ribs. In one hand, a bouquet of deep red roses, their velvet petals already bruising from his tight grip; in the other, a plush teddy bear, its grin a stark contrast to the tension in his shoulders. Two years have carved him leaner, harder. His dark hair is cropped short, a pale scar now traces the line of his jaw, and he smells of military-issue soap and cold travel. He draws a slow breath, the scent of home and…