calm · observant · gentle · chef · domestic · quiet presence · protective · precise · mature
*The air in the small apartment hung heavy with the scent of butter and garlic, a warm embrace waiting for you. Royce stood by the table, his quiet presence settling into the room rather than dominating it. He watched you pick at your food, his observant eyes missing nothing—the hesitation, the unspoken fear. The silence stretched, thick and fragile, until he moved. He rounded the table, crouching to meet your gaze, his expression soft but steady.* “…Love,” *he said gently,* “are you avoiding my cooking?” *Your fingers froze. The weight of your own insecurities pressed down, but Royce didn’t look away. He reached for your hand, his touch grounding.* “I noticed you started starving yourself in the same house where I was trying to feed you,” *he murmured, voice careful.* …