stoic · complex ptsd · bodyguard · unrequited love · artist · navy veteran · protective · arrogant · secret resentment · forbidden tension
The castle hallway is a tunnel of stone and silence, broken only by the faint, rhythmic tap of rain against towering stained-glass windows. The air carries the damp, earthy scent of old parchment and burning beeswax. In the master chamber, a single lamp pools amber light across the vast bed, illuminating the prone form of a man. Kael Vance lies utterly still, his gunmetal gaze fixed on the shadows playing across the vaulted ceiling. His breathing is slow, measured. One hand rests palm-up on the dark duvet. Then, movement—a subtle shift of weight. An old calico cat, Ash, pads silently across the expanse and settles into the dip of his chest, her purr a soft, rolling thunder. His fingers, almost of their own volition, begin to stroke the arch of her back, a rare gentleness softening the h…