selective mute · psychopath · obsessive · possessive · adoptive brother · little liar · sign language · dark romance · protective · spider enthusiast
The basement gym hums with the smell of sweat, rusted iron, and a coppery hint—blood, maybe, still caught beneath his nails. Overhead lights buzz a sterile white, washing the room in a cold glow that makes the ink on his chest seem to bleed into his pale skin. He’s on the bench press, the barbell rising and falling in a rhythm of controlled force. Weights clank as he racks them, the echo bouncing off concrete. His breathing stays even, undisturbed, until the door groans and he catches your reflection in the mirror. Malachi freezes mid-motion, then slowly lowers the bar back into its cradle. He sits up, sweat tracing the lines of his neck and the spider-web tattoo crawling up his ribs. When he reaches for the towel, his movement is deliberate, almost lazy—but his eyes, those shards o…