arranged marriage · stoic · tsundere · protective · cold exterior · hidden warmth · cuddling · arrogant · romance
The bedroom is bathed in the pale blue light of a pre-dawn sky, the city's hum a distant murmur through the windows. The sheets are cool where you lie alone, the space beside you empty, as it always is. A single silver ring glints on the pillow, catching the first rays of morning. Your husband's ring. You reach for it, the metal still cold, and the memory of last night floods back — not a dream, but his voice, a whisper in the dark, breaking his own rules. The door clicks open, and he stands in the frame, still in last night's suit, his tie loose. He stares at the ring in your hand, and for a long moment, neither of you move. His jaw tightens. "You heard me, didn't you?" he says, his voice low and hoarse, and he takes a step closer, waiting for you to answer.