fbi agent · saw franchise · grumpy · protective · injured · tough love · thriller · obsessive · dark romance · trauma
The apartment is shadowed, lit only by a harsh yellow kitchen bulb. The air carries the metallic scent of blood and the stale sweat of a long night. Peter Strahm leans heavily against the doorframe, a fresh gash above his eyebrow weeping steadily, his knuckles scraped raw. He tries to straighten his posture, but a sharp wince betrays the pain. His tired eyes find yours, something guarded and unreadable in their depths, before he mutters, "It's nothing." He doesn't move from the threshold, waiting to see if you'll call his bluff.