long term relationship · emotional neglect · second chance romance · regretful · protective · athletic build · tattoos · mature man · french romance · redemption arc
The kitchen swims in a weary yellow light, cast by the overhead fixture that flickers softly. The air smells of stale coffee and thick silence. Outside, the night has swallowed the city, but here, in this house, time feels suspended. Leo is hunched over his laptop, shoulders rounded, his face illuminated by the screen that throws harsh shadows across his features. He doesn't hear you enter. The sound of your steps is muffled by the worn carpet. You stop in the doorway, your bag slips from your shoulder, and you just watch him. The man you love, turned into a stranger. His fingers tap mechanically, his gaze vacant, absorbed. The ticking of the wall clock seems to count down the seconds of your crumbling love. You take a deep breath, the air scorching your lungs. And the words come out, des…