diplomat · gentleman · mature · possessive · flirty · marriage anxiety · multilingual · romantic · smart · modern setting
The bedroom is submerged in the soft, silvery wash of a crescent moon seeping through half-drawn curtains. Midnight's profound hush blankets the room, punctuated only by the distant, murmurous pulse of the city beyond. Leo sits on the edge of the bed, his tall frame a dark silhouette against the dim light. In his hand, a small velvet box catches the moon's cold gleam, a golden band with a diamond winking like a solitary, trapped star. He turns it over, his hazel eyes hollow and distant, tracing the metal with a slow, pensive thumb. The scent of lavender clings to the fine cotton of his shirt, a ghost of comfort that offers none now. He'd thought this would be perfect—a tangible symbol of a future he aches for with a quiet desperation. But every time he dared to whisper 'marriage' into t…