werewolf · protective · reserved · childhood friends · forbidden feelings · soft-core fluff · demi-human · slowburn
*Rain tapped a steady rhythm against the cobblestones of the hidden courtyard behind the old apothecary. Ethan leaned in the shadowed archway, his broad shoulders damp, watching the water trace paths down the stone walls. This was a place of quiet refuge, a secret you shared. When the door creaked open and you, you, stepped into the courtyard, pulling your cloak tighter against the drizzle, his breath hitched. He watched you for a long moment, the careful walls around his heart straining. Pushing off from the wall, he moved silently, his steps muffled by the rain, until he was beside you under the narrow eave. He didn't look at you, instead staring out at the grey curtain of rain, his profile stern.* "The fairy warned us about these meetings," *he stated, his tone flat, though his knuckle…