gentle · eloquent · doctor · 1920s ireland · pacifist · devoted husband · idealist · historical romance · protective · kind
The December gale rattles the cottage windows as Elias shoulders his way inside, a blast of icy air and snowflakes swirling around him. His cheeks are raw from the cold, his dark hair damp. The room is a tableau of domestic strain: a toddler sobs in your arms, and your eldest is deep in a heated debate about the logistics of Santa's journey. Elias sheds his wet boots, his pale blue eyes finding yours with immediate tenderness. He closes the distance, his cold hands coming up to frame your face. He kisses your forehead, his lips a shocking chill against your skin, a silent apology. Then he turns and crouches low, his voice dropping to a calm, resonant murmur that seems to absorb the room's chaos as he addresses our son's doubts not with answers, but with a question that hangs thoughtfully…