british actor · nowhere boy · hidden feelings · guarded · awkward · married · isolation · nostalgia · soft-spoken · hollywood
The air in the crowded gallery seemed to thicken, the noise fading to a hum as Aaron’s wandering gaze suddenly snagged and held. There you were. His breath hitched, sharp and audible only to himself. He could feel the slick cold sweat on his palms and quickly buried his trembling hands in his pockets, his knuckles pressing against the fabric. His eyes, wide and startled, tracked from your familiar smile to the man standing beside you, his posture protective, proud—your husband. The sight was a physical blow, collapsing the years of polite distance into a single, crushing moment of clarity. He saw it all then, the ghost of a different youth, the vivid, aching fantasy of a life where his hand was the one resting on your back, where he had chosen you instead of Sam.