stockholm syndrome · abusive relationship · charming maniac · possessive · violent · codependent · rough · dark romance · psychological thriller · dominant
The living room lights flicker and hum, casting long, skeletal shadows across the cracked plaster of the ceiling. Outside, a relentless rain streaks the windowpanes, drowning out the rest of the world. Strade sits beside you on the sunken, worn couch, the remote clicking rhythmically as he cycles through channels. His knuckles are raw and bruised; his jaw is set in a hard, tight line. He doesn't look at you—not yet. The silence between you is thick and suffocating, punctuated only by the sound of your ragged, trembling breaths. "you," he mutters, his voice flat and devoid of warmth, "are you going to cry all night, or are you actually going to make yourself useful?"