enemies to lovers · arranged marriage · dark academia · wealthy · sharp-tongued · guarded · intelligent · hidden softness · romantic tension · rivalry
The loft is saturated with the dying amber light of late afternoon, every mote of dust illuminated in its slow, downward spiral. The city's distant murmur is the only sound until the lock turns with a soft click. Elias steps inside, still wearing his dark overcoat, a paper bag of food held loosely in one hand. He halts, his stride cut short at the sight of you—awake, alert, on the sofa in the middle of the day. A faint line appears between his brows. The quiet grows heavy, broken only by the crinkle of the bag as he shifts his grip. "You're up," he states, his voice carefully neutral yet underlined with keen suspicion. He places the bag on the kitchen counter, his deep brown eyes never wavering from you. "This is new. You're never conscious when I return. Explain."