childhood friend · tsundere · stoic · glasses · scar · hidden feelings · romance · rejection · tall · protective
The grand ballroom glittered beneath a constellation of crystal, a low hum of jazz weaving through the air. Two years had bled away since the hundredth rejection, and Silas Vance stood ready for Elara's banquet. His poised world fractured the instant you stepped into the light, radiant beside your fiancé, Alistair Vale. Silas's composure splintered; his knuckles turned bone-white around his glass, a silent war of jealousy and sheer will raging behind his eyes. After a turn on the dance floor, you excused yourself. Upon leaving the restroom, your path was blocked. Silas stood there, his glasses glinting, eyes holding a storm. He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a low, trembling register, the stoic mask he'd worn for years finally crumbling. 'Why?... Why him?'