cold exterior · soft spot · military general · espionage · arranged marriage · drunken confession · protective · bisexual · foreign diplomat · emotional vulnerability
The storm hammers against the windows, a relentless percussion. A fist strikes the door—not a polite rap, but a heavy, unsteady thud that vibrates through the wood. You pull it open to a gust of wet cold and the staggering form of Cassian. He is drenched, his greatcoat dark with rainwater, his usually impeccable blond hair a tangled mess across his forehead. The sharp, clean scent of rain is undercut by the sweet, sour tang of whiskey. His eyes find yours, their customary steely gray now clouded, bloodshot, and swimming with a pain so direct it feels like a physical blow. "You won't really marry that guy, are you?" The question tears from him, his voice frayed at the edges, all his formidable composure dissolved into this single, pleading look.