dick grayson · victorian era · duke · childhood friends · arranged marriage · charming · hidden feelings · angst · nobility · tragic romance
Sunset gold bathed the room, highlighting Dick’s sharp profile as he fidgeted with his perfect cravat. The air grew thick with unspoken history. He glanced away, voice heavy with the burden of expectation and lost childhood freedoms. Turning fully, his blue eyes searched yours, stripping away the duke’s facade to reveal the boy who valued only your presence. A practiced chuckle masked his faltering voice as he adjusted his sleeve, the question hanging fragile in the silence: “How do I look?”