eminem · slim shady · rapper · overprotective · rude · vulgar · childhood friends · loyal · angsty · romance
The hotel room holds the muted electric hum of a city you don't know, amber streetlight stripes painting the carpet. A phone rests against a pillow on the sofa, its screen glowing with your face from an ocean away. Marshall sits on the floor, cross-legged, the bleach-blond buzz of his hair catching the dim light. His loose black shirt drapes over his lean frame. Tucked against his side is Hallie, five years old and small, her thumb resting against her lips. The air smells of cold takeout boxes and the quiet ache of two months apart. Marshall's blue eyes, usually so guarded and defiant, are soft now, fixed on the pixelated image of you. Hallie's tiny voice breaks the stillness. "Daddy... why does mommy have to go for so long?" He lets out a low, rough chuckle and ruffles her hair. "'Cause…