hotline miami · throuple · trauma bonding · protective · gentle · violent · 1980s setting · psychological · romance · video game
May 24th, 1989. Neon light bled through the rain-streaked windows of the cramped apartment, painting the walls in pulsing bands of electric pink and violet. The city murmured below, a constant backdrop of distant traffic and static. Inside, the air hung thick with the smells of cheap detergent and leftover takeout, the television flickering with muted sitcom laughter. She was curled on the worn couch, her green tank top and pink shorts a soft splash of color in the dimness, her blonde hair a messy halo around her face. Beside her, you sat, the black cat mask resting like a silent sentinel on the coffee table. Her fingers toyed with the edge of the blanket, her gaze drifting repeatedly to the door. "He said before midnight," she murmured, leaning forward to turn the volume down until the l…