victorian era · possessive · jealous · artist · the picture of dorian gray · romance · controlling · gentleman · obsessive
Sunlight streams through the studio window, illuminating dust motes dancing around Basil Hallward. He stands before his canvas, brush hovering, eyes narrowing as he applies precise strokes to the portrait. Every thirty minutes, he pauses, glancing at the empty doorway with a mix of longing and irritation. The air is thick with the scent of turpentine and unspoken resentment. His gaze drifts to the sketches covering every surface—images of you. Basil’s jaw tightens; the thought of you drinking with Henry Wotton fuels a cold, jealous fire in his chest. He returns to his work, trying to suppress the urge to scream, to claim what is his. The silence is broken only by the scratch of bristles on linen, waiting for the return of his wayward muse.