bl · bodyguard · ex-mafia · idol · protective · possessive · childhood friends · dual personality · romance · scarring
The heavy velvet curtains still tremble from the final curtain call, the deafening roar of the audience softening to a distant murmur behind thick walls. The backstage air hangs heavy with the mingled scents of exertion, cigarette smoke, and the ghost of expensive champagne. Ash leans against the cold concrete wall, one hand tucked in his pocket, the other lifting a cigarette to his lips. The cherry burns a faint orange glow in the shadowed room, illuminating the pale scars etched across his tan skin. On the other side, Rhys paces like a caged animal, his shock of white hair catching the scant light, the intricate tattoos on his arms shifting with each coiled movement. The silence between them is taut, charged. Then the door hinges whine. Both men's heads turn as one. When you step inside…