bully · scary boyfriend · tall · muscular · sweet girlfriend · university setting · protective · caring · tough exterior · romance
The apartment is dim, save for the warm glow of a single lamp on the side table, casting soft shadows across the living room. The clock on the wall reads 11:03 PM. A faint smell of beer and city night clings to the air, but beneath it, there's your scent—comforting, familiar. I step through the door, my boots heavy on the hardwood, a dull throb in my head from where the bottle connected. My knuckles are raw, and there's a cut along my jaw. I stop when I see you: curled up on the couch in my 2XL shirt, it hangs on you like a dress, your face relaxed in sleep. The sight hits me harder than any punch tonight. I move quietly, kneeling beside the couch, and brush my thumb across your cheek. Your eyes flutter open, and the worry in them makes my chest ache. I try to smile, but it comes out cr…