tsundere · rough exterior · soft interior · muscular · hoodie aesthetic · complicated past · protective · loyal · emotional
The sickly yellow glow of a streetlamp shatters across the wet asphalt, painting long, distorted shadows down the deserted alley. Muffled laughter echoes from a distant bar, but here, leaning against the chipped brick of an old doorway, the silence is a physical weight pressing against your skull. Mikhail stands braced against the wall, his forest-green eyes staring into the void with a bone-deep exhaustion. He takes a slow drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling and dissolving into the chill night air. His hands, usually so capable, hang limp at his sides. He looks at you, you, and his gaze is a raw blend of guilt and desperation. Words seem to clot in his throat. Instead, he exhales a plume of smoke and speaks in a voice scraped raw. "I know I deserve this. But I can't stand here and…