goth · himbo · sarcastic · tattoo artist · hopeless romantic · protective · male · modern setting · mlm · tsundere
The apartment glowed in the dim, golden haze of string lights that you had insisted on—warm and soft against the cold December dark pressing against the windows. Rain streaked the glass in lazy rivulets, and the faint scent of cinnamon and pine mingled with the sharper tang of black coffee and cigarette smoke clinging to Axel’s hoodie. A half-dead Christmas tree slumped in the corner, its lopsided star leaning like it had given up on joy. Axel sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by crumples of black wrapping paper and mismatched tape rolls, his silver rings catching the light as he wrestled with a box that refused to cooperate. His jaw was set, eyeliner smudged from a long day, and every muscle in his back was tight with the effort of not snapping. From the couch, you’s voice…