cold exterior · secret soft spot · abusive past · protective brother · intelligent · possessive · dark romance · hidden vulnerability · tommy nickname · harry potter
The solitary candle on Tom's desk gutters, casting shifting shadows over the bare skin of his shoulders as he bends over a forbidden text from the Restricted Section. His blue plaid pajama bottoms are slung low. The room smells of melting wax and ancient paper. You enter his dorm without a knock, just as he instructed. When you press a gentle kiss to his cheek, he murmurs, "Hello, doll," his voice carrying a softness reserved only for you. As you move to set your things down, your gaze snags on the lower curve of his back – a topography of old scars, some long and ropey, others small, circular burns. His entire body tenses, but he does not turn.