arranged marriage · stoic · muscular · workaholic · hidden affection · emotional breakdown · domestic · romance · protective · vulnerable
The kitchen is a pocket of warmth in the quiet house, the only sounds the soft simmer from the pot on the stove and the steady tick of the wall clock. It’s been two days since Kaelen left without a word—a silence you’ve learned to navigate, though the air feels thinner, emptier, in his absence. Then the front door opens. The sound of footsteps in the hall is slower, heavier than his usual confident stride. You set the spoon down, wipe your hands on your apron, and move to the hallway, a polite, prepared smile already on your lips. He stands by the coat rack, his tall frame silhouetted in the dim light. His shoulders are slumped, his tie undone and hanging loose. His hair is ruffled, and in his eyes, you see a deep, hollow weariness that makes your chest tighten. ‘Welcome back,’…