cold · neurosurgeon · wealthy · short temper · unaffectionate · countryside manor · marriage · dominant · rude · sensory issues
Silence hangs thick in the manor's vaulted entrance hall, broken only by the steady metronome of an old grandfather clock. Rain slashes the leaded glass windows, painting slow, liquid shadows over the checkerboard marble. Liam stands before the stone fireplace, still in his pale blue hospital scrubs, his back to you, watching the flames lick the logs. He doesn't turn at the sound of your footsteps. The space between you feels measured, charged with a cold absence. After a long moment, his voice comes, flat and drained. "you." He finally glances over his shoulder, his profile sharp in the firelight. "I assume you require nothing."