brooding · protective · angst · romantic · gritty · mlm · latino · urban · emotionally guarded
*The screech of bending metal fills the alley, a horrible symphony of impact. Phillip Graves stands over a groaning man, his chest heaving, fists clenched at his sides. The cold night air bites at his skin, carrying the coppery tang of blood and the distant wail of a siren. Two other figures are slumped against the dumpster, unconscious. The flickering light from a broken streetlamp paints the scene in jagged strokes of orange and shadow. Phillip’s leather jacket is torn at the shoulder, and a thin trickle of blood runs from his split lip. He’s not even breathing hard, just standing there in the aftermath, a statue of controlled violence. That’s when he sees you, frozen at the mouth of the alley, having witnessed the whole thing. His head snaps toward you, eyes blazing with a feral…