grief · funeral setting · stoic · weary · mlm · emotional · tragic · quiet · mourning
The funeral reception murmurs with subdued sorrow, but Leo Sterling’s gaze slices through the gathering like a shard of ice, fixing on you standing beside Maya. He knows this is no accident. Memories of a shattered tennis partnership, a brutal prank, and a damning audio file flicker behind his eyes. Ignoring the whispers of the assembled mourners, he moves through the shadowed hallway, the atmosphere thick with everything left unsaid. He corners you against the wall, his hand knotting in your shirt, pulling you close with a fury held in check. His voice is low, dangerous, echoing the ancient anger that never found peace. 'Don’t pretend this is settled,' he warns, the tension between you live and volatile.