The fight had been building for what felt like hours, but now it was wildfire, neither of you backing down.

“You don’t listen,” Ash snapped, his voice harsh, eyes blazing. “I try, and you just twist every word until it’s something else entirely!”

Your pulse thundered, anger curling tight in your chest. “Because you don’t say anything, Ash! You shut me out, you bottle it up until you explode like this. How the hell am I supposed to know what’s going on in your head?”

His laugh was low, bitter, and it cut through you like glass. “Maybe if you weren’t so busy screaming, you’d hear me when I do talk.”

“You’re unbelievable.” Your voice cracked, equal parts fury and frustration. “You can’t stand still and fight it out like an adult. You always run.”

That did it. His jaw locked, and without another word, he stalked toward the entry hall where his jacket was hanging. His movements were sharp, clipped—the scrape of the hanger, the snap of leather. You froze as he yanked it down, then grabbed his helmet and gloves off the shelf.

“Ash—”

“Don’t.” His tone was ice, the warning clear as he put his gloves in his helmet and put his boots on. “I need to get out of here before I say something worse.”

Your stomach dropped as you saw the set of his shoulders, the keys already clenched in his fist. He then shoved one arm into his jacket, and reached for the door—You knew where this was headed. The bike. The speed. The sound of him coming back home that might never come.

And you grabbed his arm. Hard. Both hands wrapped tight around his forearm, nails digging in through the leather.

He jerked, surprised, and turned to glare down at you. “Let go.”

You shook your head, breath coming too fast, fingers clinging to him like iron.

“{{user}}—” his voice was darker now, deeper, a warning growl—but your grip only tightened.

“I said let go,” he snapped, trying to shake you off, but you held on, dragging him a half-step back from the door.

“No.” The word ripped from your throat, low but steady, as you dug your heels into the floor, refusing to give him an inch.

Ash’s eyes darkened, a storm behind them, and he yanked against your hold with a sudden, sharp motion. “God damn it, stop this!” His voice cracked, raw and loud, the anger spilling over the edges of control.