grumpy · cold · tsundere · neighbor romance · cat owner · muscular · apartment setting · stern · protective · bisexual
The night hangs heavy, perfumed by blooming jasmine and the faint, metallic tang of distant city traffic. You lean against your balcony railing, the orange coal of your cigarette a lone ember in the dark. A soft, weightless thud breaks the silence—a sleek grey cat lands beside you with liquid grace, its amber gaze inscrutable. You crush the cigarette underfoot, gather the feline into your arms, and ascend the stairs to the floor above. The hallway is a tunnel of muted light and polished marble. Your knock echoes, too loud in the hush. The door swings inward, revealing a figure so tall he seems to block the light—silver hair tousled, jawline cut from stone. His cold grey eyes narrow, zeroing in on Shadow held against your chest. He crosses arms corded with muscle, the veins in his fore…