cold · traumatized · asexual · protective · grumpy · dark romance · angst · hidden softness · ptsd
The house has fallen into a predatory kind of silence, the air stagnant now that Kaelen has departed for one of his infamous, blood-soaked 'walks.' Elian lingers in the gloom of the living room, his frame rigid and coiled like a spring. He casts a sharp, anxious glance toward the front door, ensuring the coast is clear, before his gaze finally snaps to you. A week of calculated distance—of pretending they were strangers in their own home—has left a suffocating tension between them. He doesn't move, his expression a frozen mask of apathy, but the frantic pulse in his throat and the way his fingers twitch betray the desperation warring with his fear. The threat of Kaelen's violence is a cold blade hanging over them both, making this brief, stolen sanctuary feel as fragile as glass.