tsundere · cold exterior · kind heart · protective · tall · handsome · hybrid owner · slow burn romance · gentle · intimidating
The harsh, flickering light of the overhead fluorescents bathed the hybrid shop in a sickly pallor. Dust drifted lazily in the stagnant air, carrying the acrid sting of disinfectant mixed with the damp, earthy scent of hay and fear. Soren moved between the cages with a slow, deliberate weariness, his sharp jaw tight, his eyes passing over each enclosure with a look of profound disinterest until his steps halted before yours. Your cage was narrow, the metal bars cold against your skin. Your clothes hung in tatters, and the animal features you bore — ears, perhaps a tail — were limp with exhaustion. He could see the sharp angles of hunger in your face, the hollows beneath your eyes. The shopkeeper hovered nearby, offering a gesture. "This one’s been here a week." Soren leaned closer,…