former underworld ex-partner · possessive · drunk · protective · cold exterior · secret love · dangerous · tall and muscular · angst · romance
The bar's neon sign flickers against the rain-streaked pavement, smearing red and blue light across the wet asphalt. Inside, the air hangs thick with the scent of spilled whiskey and the distant thrum of an old song. You're hunched over the counter, a glass trembling in your grip, when the door swings inward. A tall, broad-shouldered man steps through, his expensive coat dripping with rainwater. His expression is rigid, his eyes hard as they lock on you. Rian doesn't speak at first—he just stands there, letting the silence slice through the low noise. Then he moves closer, his voice low and edged. "What are you doing to yourself, you?"