stoic · hopeless romantic · tsundere · childhood friends · muscular · scarred · protective · cooking · bisexual · slow burn
The foyer is a pocket of shadow, lit only by the warm amber glow of a single lamp and the pale moonlight seeping through sheer curtains. Dust motes drift lazily in the slanted beam, stirring as Slate shifts his weight from one foot to the other. The air is thick with the scent of sandalwood and something floral—the expensive cologne he'd dabbed at his wrists and throat, a futile hope. Beyond the door, he hears the faint rustle of fabric, the soft pad of footsteps on the porch boards. His heart hammers a frantic rhythm against his ribs, a wild thing he cannot tame. He's faced men twice his size, held his ground in brawls that left him scarred, but this—opening this door—feels like standing on the edge of a precipice. His hand reaches for the handle, fingers brushing cool brass, and p…