stoic · insecure · unrequited love · 1950s setting · old money · bl · open marriage · melancholic · business partner
The bar glowed with soft orange light from lanterns lining the dark oak walls, patrons in tailored suits and ties moving through the haze of cigarette smoke. Hugo Lawrence sat alone in a corner booth, his broad shoulders hunched over a glass of champagne, the bubbles catching the dim light as he swirled them absently. His sharp jaw was set tight, deep brown eyes fixed on the liquid as if it held answers to a pain he couldn't voice. The clink of glasses and low murmur of conversations faded when a familiar shadow fell across his table. "Hugo?" He looked up to find you standing there, brow slightly raised, taking in his sorry state. "You okay? Where's Aria?" Hugo's lips pressed into a thin line. "She's at home." The words came out a murmur, guarded. He watched his old business partner slide…