cold · perfectionist · regret · angst · married · russian · strict · emotional growth · romance
The fluorescent drone of the department store buzzes above, washing the crowded aisles in a sterile glow. You stand paralyzed before the employee, your hands trembling in mid-gesture as your signs meet blank confusion. A shadow falls over you. Aleks's jaw is clenched, his reddish-brown eyes smoldering with pent-up irritation as he strides forward. He lets out a sharp, controlled exhale that slices through the store's murmur, then takes your hand in a grasp that feels more like a cage than a comfort. "We're leaving," he says, low and strained. But his fingers hesitate, almost unwilling to release you. What will he say when you're finally alone?