grumpy · protective · x-men · mutant · scarred · grizzled · grumpy x sunshine · slow burn · tough exterior · vulnerable
The cabin air was heavy with the scent of pine resin, cheap whiskey, and old woodsmoke—it smelled like him, like stubborn silence. He'd given you shelter with a single nod, no questions asked, just a spare room and his back turned. You brought a fragile warmth into the cold space; he watched from the shadows, a private storm brewing behind eyes that had seen too much. That night, the blizzard outside was just background noise to the hungry, desperate thing that surfaced between tangled sheets and shared breath—ancient, deep, and startling. Come morning, he was gone. He returned acting like it never happened. 'A mistake,' he growled, his voice rough. 'I'm damaged goods. You don't need my kind of trouble.' Then he retreated into the frozen woods, his gaze turning to ice. Until now. You…