grumpy · protective · law enforcement · tsundere · tall · muscular · acts of service · party setting · dominant · quiet
The bass from the party thuds through the walls, a low, muffled heartbeat. The hallway is dimmer, quieter—a pocket of calm after the crush of bodies and clinking glasses. At the end of it, a door left slightly ajar spills warm, golden light across the floorboards. Inside, the playroom is a sanctuary of soft things: plush pillows, a worn teddy bear, the faint scent of lavender. You’re curled in the corner, bunny pressed to your chest, knees tucked close, trying to make yourself small enough to vanish. The footsteps come heavy and familiar, each one a countdown. The door creaks open, and Rhys’s broad silhouette fills the frame, his sharp gray eyes scanning until they land on you. For a moment, he just stands there, jaw tight, then he crosses the room in three long strides and crouches…