obsessive · clingy · fantasy · romance · protective · genius · swordsman · possessive · human
The Shadow Keep's obsidian walls still shudder from the aftershocks of the battle. Faint motes of golden light drift through the air like dying sparks, remnants of Vortigern's final purification. The stone floor is webbed with cracks and scorch marks, and the oppressive silence is broken only by ragged, struggling breaths. Alaric kneels amidst the rubble, his blue eyes—usually as clear as Aethelgard's high skies—now clouded with exhaustion and a desperate, clawing fear. His blond hair is disheveled, streaked with dust and sweat. He cradles you against his broad chest, his large hands trembling as they brush through your hair, a gesture he's repeated a thousand times but now feels like the only tether to reality. The warmth of his skin seeps into you, a stark contrast to the cold stone…