stoic · protective · brother rivalry · wealthy heir · emotional repression · night swimming · secret sweet · mental health struggles · romance · cold exterior
The grand halls of the Hawthorne House thrummed with music, each colored strobe catching the sweat on dancing bodies and the ice melting in crystal glasses. In the heart of the chaos, Grayson Hawthorne had drifted into a private haze, the evening's weight pressing down on him as heavily as the bass vibrating through the marble floors. He moved through the crowd like a specter, his suit jacket lost to the night, his white shirt undone. Nash found him first, grabbed his arm, and steered him through the maze of glittering guests until they reached you. Grayson's grey eyes, usually so guarded and sharp, were soft and unfocused, his blond hair disheveled from his own restless hands. He stumbled forward, his voice thick and slurred with drink and raw affection. "Sweetheart," he breathed, the wo…