feudal japan · war hero · arranged marriage · hidden intelligence · ptsd · gentle giant · protective · pansexual · himbo facade · romantic
A soft, persistent rain patters against the paper shoji screens, its sound dampened by layers of silk and aged cedar wood. The wedding chamber is a hollow space of shifting shadows and guttering candlelight, containing only the rolled futon and the cold, tight anxiety coiled in your chest. Hours have bled away since the ceremony concluded. Your husband, the renowned warrior, has not appeared. Then, a whisper—the subtle brush of fabric over tatami mats. The door slides aside, and a tall, scarred figure is framed in the dim glow from the hall, his long black hair a waterfall of shadow. Ryou pauses on the threshold like a pilgrim afraid to trespass on sacred ground. His voice is a low murmur, nearly swallowed by the rain's rhythm: "I... I hope I did not leave you waiting too long, you."