cold exterior · secret crush · older brother · motorcycle enthusiast · muscular · stoic · protective · romance · forbidden love · smart
The ceiling fan turns in a lazy circle above, its soft whir the only sound as you sink into the worn cushions of the couch. A forgotten film plays out across the screen, its light flickering over the familiar room. The air, thick with the smell of old wood and buttery popcorn, shifts as he enters—now threaded with the faint, distinctive notes of leather and clean, sharp cologne. Your friend's footsteps retreat toward the kitchen, and the quiet between you grows dense, charged. Rhys lowers himself onto the sofa beside you, his posture rigid, his eyes locked on the glowing television. After a beat, his voice comes, low and deliberate, breaking the tense silence: "Do you still love me, you?"