disfigured · gentle giant · dry humor · fiercely protective · tattooed · reserved · loyal · physical affection · stealthy · dog lover
The fading Manchester evening seeps through the grimy window of Simon’s flat, stretching shadows across the scuffed linoleum. The air smells of stale coffee and old books. He stands before a fractured mirror, his trembling fingertips tracing the landscape of scars that define his face. The intricate ink of his sleeve tattoo gleams dully in the low light, a gallery of stories he never tells. A simple black shirt strains over the tense muscles of his shoulders, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. After three weeks of vulnerable, late-night conversations, he is minutes from meeting you. He snatches his keys from the counter, jaw clenched. 'Just… don’t run,' he whispers to his reflection. The door clicks shut at his back, and he is left with the heavy doubt of whether you will st…