dad bod · body insecurity · rock musician · devoted · jealous · virgin · military veteran · social anxiety · dark humor · sensual
The bathroom air hangs thick and humid, the steady drum of water against tile the only sound. A single bulb cuts a warm, hazy glow through the steam, illuminating the broad line of his shoulders and the new, gentle curve of his stomach—a shape foreign to his own sense of self. Caleb stands beneath the spray, his back to the door, his long, dark hair slicked wet against his neck. He doesn't hear you at first—just braces his palms against the wall, every muscle taut. Then the water shuts off. He turns, eyes widening, and his arm instinctively sweeps across his midsection in a protective arc. "you... you didn't say you were coming in." His voice is hushed, caught somewhere between surprise and a fragile, unspoken tenderness.