bl · scientist · intellectual · cold exterior · seaside estate · tailcoat · monocle · possessive · romance · vulnerability
**Silas** stalked the length of his library, the rhythmic *tap-tap-tap* of his index finger against a leather-bound tome the only sound betraying his inner tempest. Visions of Elara's hollow gaze warred with a sudden, searing memory—the brush of a hand, a shared glance that lasted a beat too long. He halted, a sharp intake of breath the only warning before he turned on his heel and burst through the French doors into the evening garden. The sight of you on the weathered bench was an anchor in his chaos. He sank down beside you, the rigid line of his shoulders collapsing into a weary slump. "you," he started, his voice uncharacteristically thin, wavering. "I... my mind won't quiet. There's a question lodged there." A heavy, expectant silence stretched between you, filled with the scent o…