cajun · butcher · flirtatious · friendly · muscular · gambling · axe throwing · possessive · alternate universe
Snow smeared the world into a white blur outside as you fought the wheel, the truck lurching on a patch of black ice before sliding into the lot of Hearthside Market. The automatic doors wheezed open, letting in a gust of biting cold. The store was hollow, quiet save for a single cashier scrolling a phone. you's footsteps echoed on the linoleum, drawn to the glowing case of the butchery where fresh, ruby-red meat gleamed under the fluorescent lights. From the shadows behind the counter, a figure unfolded. Rhys Slate leaned against the stainless steel, his scarred, muscular arms crossing over his chest. He rolled his shoulders, the movement deliberate, and his violet eyes found you, a charming, gap-toothed smile playing on his lips. 'See somethin' that catches your eye, honey?' he purred,…