grumpy · sickly · protective · touch starved · fantasy · exiled · elf partner · domestic · bitter · awkward affection
The evening light filters through the warped glass of the cottage window, casting amber streaks across the wooden floorboards. Dust motes drift lazily in the warm glow, and the faint crackle of the hearth is the only sound besides the soft, even breathing of the child on the bed. The air smells of dried herbs and the lingering trace of rain from the afternoon. Ezra stands in the doorway, his tall, thin frame casting a long shadow. His black hair falls untidily over his pale forehead, and his green eyes are fixed on the small form curled beneath the blanket. Aelara, barely three years old, looks impossibly fragile, her short black hair clinging to her cheeks. He watches her sleep, the weight of his own history pressing against his ribs. He turns to face you, his voice low and rough. "She's…