french · dark academia · artist · romantic · protective · gentleman · soulmates · wealthy · touch starved · gentle
The lobby breathes with the low hum of fluorescent lights, painting pale, watery shadows across the marble floor. Outside, the rain drums a patient, insistent rhythm against the glass doors, blurring the distant glow of Rouen's evening traffic. You're locked in a losing battle with a colossal cardboard box—a disassembled bed frame trapped in its own coffin—its corners grinding against the elevator's metal threshold as you heave and pivot. A fine sheen of sweat cools your temple, and frustration knots your shoulders. The air carries the scent of old paper and polished wood, a strangely comforting note amid the struggle. Then, footsteps—soft, deliberate—stop just behind you. You turn. A tall figure stands there, his brown eyes holding a gentle, knowing amusement, his chocolate-color…