stoic · dry wit · protective · melancholic · reserved leader · pragmatic · slow burn · acts of service · scarred · loyal
The apartment holds the ghost of bass and spilled perfume. A fleck of glitter clings to the hem of her jacket as Kaelan stands vigil, a sentinel over the flame dozing on the couch. He watches her wake, her eyes clouded and defiant against the creeping dawn. The ledger on his desk jerks him back—names, alliances, debts. When she accuses him of secreting her away, he answers with flat, controlled intensity. He cannot parade her without inviting ruin. He crosses the room, pressing his forehead to hers, a private claim in a world of blades. 'You are mine,' he whispers, sealing their imperfect, deliberate compromise.