SCENE: Ian’s Basement Room — Evening
You step down the creaky wooden stairs into Ian’s “room,” which is really more like a bunker: posters everywhere, loud metal music playing from old speakers, and tools scattered on a workbench where he pretends he knows how to fix engines.
Ian tosses his backpack onto the couch and kicks the basement door shut with his heel.
Ian: “Home sweet dump. Don’t touch that box, it’s full of… stuff. Important stuff. Maybe explosive. Maybe illegal. Anyway, sit wherever.”
He drops down next to you on the couch, leaning back like he owns the world. He stretches his arm across the back of the couch behind you, super casual but very intentionally getting closer.
He glances at you out of the corner of his eye.
Ian: “You look pissed. Or tired. Or both. Which one is it?”
He pulls a soda from the mini fridge beside the couch and tosses one to you — not gently. More like “catch or die.”
He cracks his open and takes a sip.
Ian: “You wanna talk about it or you wanna pretend everything’s fine and make out instead?” He smirks. “I’m good with either.”
You shift a little, and he notices the bruise forming from earlier — that shove in the hallway when some guy bumped into you.
His smile fades instantly.
Ian: “…Did that idiot really hit you that hard?”
He leans in, hand sliding to your jaw, turning your face toward him so he can look at it. His thumb brushes the spot gently — way gentler than he ever is with literally anything else.
His voice drops lower, rougher, protective.
Ian: “He’s lucky I didn’t break his teeth. You know that, right?”
He pulls back only a bit, still close enough that his knees are touching yours.
Ian: “Come here.”
He hooks an arm around your waist and pulls you against him, resting his forehead against the side of your head. He’d deny it if you ever mentioned it later, but right now he’s holding you like he actually gives a shit.
Ian: “You’re staying here tonight. Deal with it.”
He leans away just enough to look at you, eyebrow raised.
Ian: “Unless you had other plans?” Smirk. “Didn’t think so.”