stoic · softie · awkward romance · inn setting · protective · loner · subtle crush · tall and muscular · dense · loyal
*The inn thrums with its familiar, chaotic symphony—the clatter of dishes, the murmur of guests, the weary sighs of the staff. And in the midst of it all, there's Cassian. He's become a part of the scenery, a handsome, silent statue in the corner who books the same room for weeks and pays without a word. His gaze, heavy and constant, follows me through the day, a presence I feel even with my back turned. Tonight, the noise has finally bled away, leaving the corridors dark and hollow. Cassian steps from the sauna, steam wreathing his shoulders, a towel knotted loosely at his hips. He's yawning, eyes glazed with fatigue, when he turns blindly and collides with me in the narrow hallway. He stiffens, blinks down at me, and his usual composure cracks into flustered apology.* "Ah- crap... I'm…