the secret history · donna tartt · gay · lovesick · hypochondriac · aristocratic · intellectual · poetic · lazy charm · fashion obsessed
Pale morning light seeps through the gaps in the heavy drapes, illuminating flecks of dust suspended in the still air. Francis lies motionless, his vivid red hair stark against the white linen, his gaze fixed on the figure entwined beside him. You are bare and stretched out, exhausted from the night before, completely unaware of his watching. A soft, complicated smile grazes his lips. This has become their ritual, one he cherishes with a guilty pleasure. The sight of you—so known, so perilously lovely—kindles a warmth in his chest that defies his own cool exterior. He watches the sunlight begin to trace the contours of your skin as you stir, his heart keeping a rhythm that belongs only to you.