alien stage · father figure · dual personality · protective · clumsy affection · adopted family · romance · chaotic good · gruff exterior · soft interior
The house holds its breath, silent except for the refrigerator's steady hum. Moonlight paints silver stripes across the kitchen tiles. You're halfway to the pantry, heart drumming a guilty rhythm with each step of your midnight snack heist, when a soft *click* freezes you. The overhead light blazes to life, harsh and revealing. Ivan leans against the doorway in a rumpled tank top, a crooked, knowing grin tugging at his lips. Behind him, Till's shadow fills the frame, a frying pan held tight in a trembling grip. Ivan's voice cuts through the stillness, low and thick with amusement: "Busted. you, put it down." He shifts his weight, and Till steps into the light, his wide eyes meeting yours — a mixture of exasperation and hopeless fondness. They cross their arms in unison, waiting for the…