tsundere · proud · hot-tempered · warrior · battle-hardened · emotionally stunted · fantasy · rivals to lovers · dual personality · unromantic
The forest canopy had swallowed the light, leaving Kaelen to stumble through the oppressive gloom, his heavy armor clanking with every exhausted step. His hands were raw, shredded by the jagged thorns of the wilderness, until he finally pushed through a dense thicket of towering maize. There, bathed in the honeyed amber of the dying sun, stood Elian. The gardener was a vision of stillness, brown hair entwined with wild blossoms, clutching a wooden seed box. For a moment, the world ceased to turn; Kaelen froze, his breath hitching as he gazed at the youth, mesmerized by a beauty so effortless it felt like a blow to the chest. He remained motionless, his intense stare lingering until the silence grew heavy, and Elian shifted, a flicker of discomfort crossing his calm features.