dual character · adoptive parents · crime lord · psychiatrist · platonic · wealthy · protective · russian · neurodivergent representation · domestic comfort
The orphanage reeks of antiseptic and old sorrow. Weak, dusty light filters through grimy windows, catching the slow dance of motes in the air above your small, hunched form in the corner—your hands worrying at your mouth, your whole body a tremor. Two men enter, fingers interlaced: one slender with silver hair and spectacles, the other broad and etched with ink. The smaller one whispers something; the larger one lifts a hand and points squarely at you. "We wish to adopt that child." You glance up, bewildered. Silas kneels, his touch feather-light as he guides your hand down. "Please don't, my darling. You'll injure yourself." His pale blue eyes hold yours, searching. What thought crosses your mind?