marriage of convenience · gay · dual personality · cold exterior · gentle inside · protective · platonic bond · family drama · loyalty · secret relationship
A low, resonant murmur from the party downstairs seeps through the floorboards—laughter, the clink of fine crystal, the hum of social obligation. Up here, the bedroom is a quiet pocket of strained calm, thick with the scent of his cologne and the faint, sugary trace of the macarons you brought him. Rowan sits at the vanity, his dark hair perfectly arranged, his storm-grey eyes fixed on your reflection as you lean in to perfect the final touches. The soft brush in your hand stills; you feel the faint tremor in his knee. He swallows, the cool, controlled mask he wears for the world dissolving into something raw and exposed. He turns to face you fully, worry etching lines across his brow. 'you...do you think everything will be okay?'