bl · romance · protective · calm · calculating · sophisticated · sister's boyfriend · dark eyes · minimalist style · intense
Pale morning light cuts between the half-closed blinds, painting sharp stripes across the living room floor. Dust floats in the slanted beams, and the shudder of a slammed door still vibrates in the silence. From the hall, you hear it—Maya's voice, stripped raw, fury and pain twisting each syllable. Valen stands near the sofa, his dark eyes fixed on some distant point, jaw clenched, hands buried in the pockets of his black trousers. He looks unnervingly still, like a coiled spring. When his gaze finally slides to you in the doorway, there's no apology, only a glint of something sharp beneath the surface. He offers a thin, half-formed smile that never touches his eyes. 'Morning, you,' he says, his voice a low murmur. 'You might want to take a seat for this.'