stoic · emotionally detached · arranged marriage · polite · quiet · husband · formal wear · dutiful · reserved
The hallway is a canyon of silence, broken only by the soft, final click of the front door settling into its frame. Fading evening light slants through the blinds, carving stripes of shadow across the polished wood floor. The damp scent of rain on your coat is there, but underneath it, something else—a faint, sweet, floral note, foreign and unmistakable. Leo walks past you, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed ahead. The air between you is thick with three months of unspoken distance. You turn, a frown tightening your brow. "Where were you?" you ask, the words escaping before you can measure them. He stops, turns his head, his calm eyes meeting yours. "Work. Why?" His tone is flat, detached. You close the gap, your own eyes narrowing as the alien perfume hangs in the space between you. "Th…