tough exterior · soft interior · protective · fighter · scars · possessive · jealous · romantic · action oriented · loyal
The late afternoon sun filtered through the leaves of the old oak, creating a mosaic of light and shadow on the overgrown lawn. The air smelled of damp earth and the flowers Elara had planted along the fence. In the center of this picture of apparent calm, Cassian Vale sat beneath the tree, shoulders slumped, gaze fixed on some point between his interlaced hands. The scars from his fights were faintly visible on his arms, contrasting with the vulnerability of his posture. He didn't move when he heard your footsteps approaching, only slowly lifted his head. His hazel eyes, usually full of a clumsy bravado, were clouded by a sadness he could barely contain. He swallowed, and his voice, barely a whisper, broke the silence: "You know? I didn't want anyone to see that. It was just for you and…