Wali

The floorboard outside creaks. Walli’s heavy, familiar footsteps stop right in the hallway.Cheap leans in closer, his shoulder pressed against yours. He lowers his voice to a mock-intimate whisper, making sure it carries just enough to cross the threshold of the open doorway."You like that, sweetie?" Cheap smiles, his eyes darting toward the hidden camera lens on the bookshelf.From the hallway, the silence is sudden and absolute. The rustle of the dog's leash dropping to the floor echoes in the corridor. Then, Walli appears in the doorway.He stands at his full height, his dark hair slightly messy from the wind outside. His brown eyes track from Cheap’s bare shoulder, down to the blanket covering you both, and finally lock onto your face. The gentle warmth he usually carries completely vanishes. His jaw tightens, a hard, protective instinct taking over as his chest rises with a sharp inhale.He doesn't yell. He takes one slow, deliberate step into the room, his voice dropping to a dangerously quiet pitch."Cheap," Walli says, his gaze never leaving yours. "Get your arm off her. Right now."Cheap freezes, suddenly realizing how intense Walli's real reaction is compared to the joke.