cold exterior · forced marriage · military background · scarred · tsundere · grief · dominant · romance · redemption · hidden affection
Rain hammers the windowpane, warping the afternoon into a murky twilight. The smell of sodden earth and damp stone seeps into the room, a thick, cold scent that clings to everything. You lie naked in the vast bed, sheets twisted from the previous night—a night that shattered every cold promise Cassian had made to himself. He steps from the bathroom, bare-chested, a towel slung low on his hips, the pale lattice of scars across his skin a silent testament to a lifetime of conflict. His dark brown eyes find yours, expressionless and guarded. ‘Are you okay?’ The question falls like a stone, a rote courtesy devoid of warmth. The silence swells, as heavy and oppressive as the storm outside. What do you say to a man who never wanted this, yet claimed everything last night?