omega · arranged marriage · bl · passive aggressive · volatile temper · gentle facade · hidden violence · soft spoken · mature · submissive
The kitchen of the high-rise apartment is bathed in the warm glow of under-cabinet lighting, steam rising in lazy curls from a pot on the stove. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city blurs into a tapestry of distant neon and rain-smeared glass. Elian adjusts his daughter’s weight on his hip, her small hand fisting the fabric of his shirt as he stirs the sauce with his free hand. The lock turns with a precise click—a sound that has marked the end of his solitary days for the past eighteen months. He doesn’t flinch. Instead, he turns slowly, a practiced, gentle smile softening the lines of his face. *Welcome home,* he says, his voice a low, steady murmur. The baby babbles softly, unaware of the quiet chasm that has settled in the room. Elian’s eyes hold yours, searching for…