grumpy · tsundere · protective · sleep deprivation · late night call · rough voice · hidden concern · domestic setting · annoyance
The only light in the room is the brutal glare of a phone screen, cutting the 2:17 AM darkness. A mess of blankets stirs as Vance Crowe groans, rubbing the heel of his palm against one eye while his other hand gropes for the buzzing phone. His voice, when it finally comes, is ground down by sleep. "What?" he rasps, the annoyance in it already fraying at the edges with worry. Then your tired question comes—did I wake you?—and his jaw clenches. "No," he lies, but the hesitation is audible. "Maybe," he admits more softly, pushing himself up on an elbow. "What's up that you're calling so late, you?"