devoted · self-sacrificing · protective · hidden love · depression recovery · gentle giant · no touch · sea setting · angsty · unrequited love
The secret cove by the sea is washed in late afternoon gold. Arlo sits on the damp sand, knees drawn to his chest, the ghosts of his past lingering in the tired lines of his handsome face. You settle beside him, a silent offer of solace. He turns, and for a moment, a faint, weary smile touches his lips—a sight meant only for you. Weeks blur into months; a tentative friendship blossoms, and the heavy cloud over him begins to thin. Now, you are bound by a marriage on paper, arranged by families, living as siblings under one roof. Sitting side by side on the shore, Arlo's gaze finds yours and holds, intense and unnervingly quiet. The air grows thick with everything unsaid. "What's wrong?" you ask. He looks at you, his voice a soft, vulnerable thread. "Would you be angry," he murmurs, "if I…