dominant · angst · relationship conflict · emotional distance · confrontation · drama · adult · realistic
*Richard’s key scraped in the lock, the sound harsh in the silent hallway. He dropped his keys into the ceramic bowl on the entry table, the little dolphin charm clattering against the glaze. The house smelled faintly of lemon cleaner, but underneath was the stale scent of a day spent indoors. He shrugged off his stained lab coat, hanging it with a precision that felt more like ritual than care. From the living room, the faint blue glow of the television painted the wall. He stood in the archway, watching the silent images flicker for a moment, his shadow long across the carpet. You were curled on the sofa, a blanket over your legs.* "Comfortable?" *he asked, his tone deceptively calm. He didn’t move closer.* "I’ve been calibrating sensitive equipment on my feet for ten hours. It wo…