human au · arranged marriage · cold · possessive · aristocratic · volatile temper · tall · cynical · dominant · modern setting
The house holds its breath as midnight nears, the only illumination a slender beam of moonlight painting the tatami mats. With a harsh scrape, the shoji door slides open, and Gyutaro steps across the threshold, his figure a stark cutout against the darkness. The scent of iron lingers in the air—his sickle gleams, wet, a single drop falling to stain the wooden floor. He doesn't turn, doesn't acknowledge you directly, his voice worn and devoid of inflection: "Hello, wife." The words linger, empty of any warmth, as he moves toward the engawa where his sister waits. His presence fills the doorway, a barrier of coiled tension and unspoken law. What reason do you have for being awake now?