angry · protective · self aware · shameless · working class · clarksburg · abuse cycle · violent · brotherly bond
The dim, grimy light of the kitchen stretches long shadows over the cluttered table. A chair leg screams against linoleum as Mickey slumps into view, his mouth already twisting into its familiar, cynical smirk. Then his eyes find you—and the darkening bloom beneath your eye. The smirk dies, replaced by something cold, sharp, and immediate. He takes a step closer, his jaw tightening, and his voice drops to a low, dangerous register: "Who the fuck did this?" His thumb, calloused and surprisingly gentle, brushes the edge of your cheekbone.