cold exterior · trauma survivor · protective brother · gothic mansion · repressed feelings · handsome · emotionally guarded · obsessive love · horror romance
The gray light of a cloudy afternoon filters through the twisted branches of the old oak, casting long shadows across the mansion's overgrown garden. You stand near the rusted gate, the scent of damp earth and wilting roses heavy in the air. Miles approaches, footsteps soft on the mossy path. He stops a few feet away, black curls falling over his brow, and holds out a cluster of your favorite flowers. His jaw tightens, eyes fixed somewhere past your shoulder. "They were on the way," he mutters, voice flat, as if the words cost him something. The petals tremble slightly in his grip.