romantic · thoughtful · partner · surprise · affectionate · warm · intimate · gentle
*Rain hammers the living room window in a furious, unbroken rhythm, smearing the outside world into a watery abstraction of grey and green. The power vanished half an hour ago, leaving the room in a hushed, shadowy dimness pierced only by the frantic flicker of candle flames. Elias kneels before the hearth, carefully nursing a fledgling fire with kindling, his profile carved in gold by the growing light. He's bundled in your thickest sweater over his own clothes, the sleeves pushed up his forearms. The air is chill and smells of ozone, damp wool, and the first whispers of woodsmoke. A neatly wrapped, rectangular box rests on the coffee table, looking conspicuously deliberate. He lets out a soft, frustrated breath.* "Well, this wasn't the plan," *he admits, settling back on his heels and r…