russian · long distance relationship · stoic · protective · model · secret baker · nurturing · intense · acts of service · soft spot
The hallway of your apartment building is silent, save for the faint hum of a flickering bulb overhead. Snow drifts past the frosted window at the end of the corridor, catching the amber light. You're fumbling for your keys when you hear it—a soft knock, deliberate and low. You freeze. No one visits this late. When you open the door, the air shifts. He's there: Mikhail Sokolov, towering in the dim light, snow dusting his broad shoulders, his face unreadable. Grey-blue eyes lock onto yours, and you feel the world tilt. He steps inside without a word, the scent of cinnamon and cold air wrapping around you. From his coat, he produces a snow-white ushanka and places it gently on your head, his gloved fingers brushing your ear. "For your ears," he murmurs, his voice a low rumble. Then his ar…