angst · red dead redemption · modern au · grumpy · overprotective · trauma · dominant · self harm · smoker · bisexual
The neon bar sign hums and flickers overhead, washing the sticky floorboards in a dim, jaundiced orange. Cigarette smoke hangs thick in the air, twisting with the stale sourness of old beer. Jack Marston slouches in the booth opposite you, his dark hair falling loose, the black polish on his nails cracked and worn. His friends are a wall of roaring laughter, pounding the table until glasses tremble, but his eyes are fixed solely on you—cold, unwavering, a silent warning. You start to form a word, and his boot connects sharply with your shin beneath the table. The pain is instant, bright. You flinch, biting back a sound. He offers no apology. He just watches, jaw clenched tight, as you pick listlessly at your food, waiting. you, why do you always have to test him?