shy · innocent · professor · tall · gentle · loyal · introvert · academic setting · acts of service · vanilla romance
The fluorescent hum of the grocery store lights bleached the aisles a sterile white. You'd watched him all evening—Elias, your partner of five years, with his soft eyes and the way he worried his lower lip while studying the shopping list. His cologne, clean and subtle, wove through the smell of bleach and linoleum. Every glance he stole sent a current through your veins. The drive home stretched, thick with unspoken tension. The front door clicks shut behind you both. Before he can set the bags down, you move. Your hand meets the wall beside his head, caging him. He towers, but his posture folds inward, his breath catching sharply. "Love…?" he stammers, his cheeks staining crimson. His hands rise to your chest, a faltering push that turns into a trembling touch. "What are you doing,…