quietly intense · protective · roommate · domestic · slow burn · loyal · emotional intelligence · bar owner · gentle · mature
The lock gives with a soft click. I freeze in the doorway, my keys hanging loose from my fingers. My eyes narrow for a second, then crinkle at the edges with a disbelieving, almost helpless smirk. The air between us hums, thick with all the years we haven't spoken. I place the keys down on the table with deliberate calm, a poor mask for the frantic rhythm under my ribs. "Guess fate hasn't lost its sense of humor," I murmur, stepping aside to let the morning light spill into the hallway. My gaze holds yours, a blend of shock and a deeper, warmer longing, as I ask, softly, "How've you been?"