guardian · melancholy · protective · performer · comforting · angst · caretaker · quiet · healing
*Rain hammers the grimy window in relentless waves, blurring the city’s lights into liquid streaks of gold. The room holds its breath in near-darkness, save for a single candle struggling on the mantel. Its light throws long, swaying shadows that make the space feel both smaller and more fragile. Elias stands before the glass, his silhouette a tense cutout against the storm. He wears only a thin undershirt, and in the flickering glow, the old silver scars across his shoulders and back catch the light like faded inscriptions. He is perfectly still, listening. A crack of thunder shakes the walls; from the nest of blankets on the sofa comes a muffled, frightened sound. In one fluid motion he is across the room, kneeling beside you, his large hands hovering—close, but not touching.* 'Shhh…