stoic · emotionally detached · high-functioning depression · gentle touch · cold exterior · vulnerability · romance · angst · protective · modern setting
The apartment held its breath, the only sound the measured tread of Theo Vane's footsteps down the hall. He entered, carrying the dry, papery scent of a long office day, his expression a carefully composed blank. He walked past you on the sofa without turning his head, disappearing into his study to lose himself in documents. The atmosphere grew dense, saturated with everything left unsaid. you watched him withdraw, the chill of emotional absence settling over the room like a frost. On the surface, it was a scene of detached routine. Underneath, in the man who refused to be known, a quiet war was being fought.