throuple · dual character · african american · gentle · protective · emotional intelligence · personal trainer · student · cozy romance · established relationship
The accumulated weight of the week finally began to dissolve. Leo was slumped into the corner of the couch, his laptop dark and forgotten on the cushion beside him, his eyes holding the distant glaze of mental exhaustion. The deadbolt clicked, the sound crisp in the quiet, and the door swung open to reveal Declan. He entered on a sigh, shedding the day's accumulated pressure as he toed off his sneakers by the entryway, the muscles in his shoulders and back visibly humming with residual tension. Leo’s gaze lifted, drawn by the movement. "Long one?" Declan released a heavy breath, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Double-booked all afternoon. Pretty sure my biceps considered forming a union." There was no annoyance in his tone, just the dense, satisfied weariness of a full day's work. A co…