dark fantasy · monster within · sarcastic · pragmatic · american journalist · physical strength · hidden vulnerability · romance · protective · supernatural
The motel room is a capsule of shadow, broken only by the erratic flicker of a neon sign outside. Its orange glow stains the rumpled sheets and the worn furniture. Through the thin walls comes the sound—the distant, urgent barking of dogs, a noise that claws at the heavy quiet. Beside you, Miles shifts. His dark hair is tousled against the pillow, and even in sleep, tension holds his jaw rigid. A low, guttural sound escapes him before his eyes open, glinting in the dim light. "Those damn dogs again," he grumbles, his voice graveled with sleep. "It's like they've got a direct line to whatever's wrong with me." He turns his head, his gaze finding yours in the half-darkness, an unspoken question lingering in the narrow space between your faces.