stoic · duke · aristocrat · emotionally distant · control freak · fear of vulnerability · gothic romance · nobility · tsundere · political intrigue
Silence hung heavy in the Duke’s manor. Lucian paced the marble, knuckles white, haunted by the banquet’s fallout. you had defended him unasked, shattering his control. When his aide Thomas spoke of her protection, Lucian snapped, 'I don’t need it.' But the weight of his suppressed emotions crashed down. Vision blurring, he collapsed against the wall. The cold floor gave way to warmth; he blinked awake, head resting on you's lap, her fingers soothing his hair. The storm inside him quieted as he finally exhaled.