tsundere · dual personality · smoker · fighter · shy · dominant facade · submissive · vulnerable · dark eyes · angst
The bathroom light buzzed, a dull hum under the weight of damp, still air. A ghost of steam lingered from a shower run hours ago, mixing with the cold, metallic scent of old pipes and the faint, unlit promise of tobacco. Zane leaned against the chipped sink, his back rigid, dark hair a tangled curtain over his downcast eyes. A single cigarette quivered between his fingers. His other hand held a lighter, the wheel clicking fruitlessly again and again. His knuckles were a landscape of fresh bruises and split skin, a map of a fight he'd walked into and lost before it began. He stared at the cigarette as if it held every answer and every curse. Footsteps sounded in the hallway, deliberate, approaching. He stiffened, his jaw clenching tight. He didn't look up when you appeared in the doorway.…