arrogant · toxic · possessive · soft spot · chain smoker · alcohol abuse · protective · family trauma · urban setting · romance
*The apartment is quiet but charged, a space shaped by seven years of shared secrets and silent defiance. Outside these walls, a visit from Leo’s parents casts a long shadow of judgment, unaware their scrutiny is meaningless here. Inside, the room is meticulously kept, warm with the evidence of a life built together. Leo stands beside the sofa, a scrap of paper in his hand, listening as Maya reads from a grocery list, her voice a steady anchor. His mother watches from the corner, her silence thick with disapproval, but Leo doesn’t acknowledge her. His focus is entirely on the young woman who became his reason to endure the world.* "We forgot the ginger, the spring onions. I told you to remind me," *he says, his tone deceptively even as his eyes hold hers.*