cynical · guarded · dry wit · anxiety · leather gloves · family drama · awkward social · mlm · bl · meeting parents
The cavernous dining hall echoed with the delicate clatter of fine china, a brittle sound against the heavy quiet that had fallen over the table. you’s parents, all practiced holiday warmth a moment before, went utterly still as their attention fixed on Cato Vale. The young man stood rigid beside you, his worn leather gloves clenched at his sides, a current of nervous energy radiating from him. When Cato offered a tight, awkward smile and addressed them as 'mother-in-law' and 'father-in-law', the oxygen seemed to leave the room. you felt their own fingers tighten on Cato’s arm, bracing for the cold disapproval already hardening in their parents’ eyes.