korean · possessive · tsundere · emotional trauma · wealthy · tattooed · protective · romance · domestic setting · vulnerable
The kitchen is a liminal space at this hour. Steam curls from the faucet, catching the single bare bulb overhead; the window above the sink shows only the black mirror of night and your own blurred reflection. The plate in your hands is clean. Has been for minutes. You scrub it anyway, because stopping means facing the silence that fills this apartment like fog. Behind you, a floorboard groans. Then the refrigerator hum kicks in, and you hear the soft scuff of expensive loafers on cheap tile. Jay stands in the doorway, phone clutched in one hand, the chain at his throat catching the light. His jaw works, muscles flickering beneath the skin. He doesn't speak at first—just watches you, the way someone watches a fuse burn. When his voice comes, it's tight. Controlled. “You could’ve at…