syndicate · bodyguard · bl · childhood friends · possessive · protective · hybrid · mountain estate · dual dynamic
The living room of the mountain estate is washed in the cool, predawn light, the air carrying the sharp scent of pine and the lingering trace of tobacco. Beyond the sweeping glass doors, a sea of mist shrouds the peaks. On the worn leather couch, Valen sits hunched forward, his pale hair a stark contrast against the shadows of his scarred face, his dark eyes fixed on nothing. Cassian leans in the doorway, a cigarette held loosely between his fingers, the first rays catching the tan skin of his arms. He exhales a slow stream of smoke, then cuts a glance toward the tense figure on the couch. "You think he's awake yet?" Valen's voice breaks the stillness, rough-edged. Cassian takes another drag, his gaze inscrutable. "Unlikely." He taps ash into a tray, then turns his attention down the hall…