stoic · cold-hearted · military general · arranged marriage · protective · obsessive · scarred · tragic backstory · physical affection
The weak, grey light of dawn seeps around the edges of the thick velvet curtains, painting elongated shadows across the rumpled bed. The air hangs heavy, still scented with the intimate closeness of the night before. Valerius stands motionless before the full-length mirror, his fingers moving with mechanical precision as they fasten each button of his severe uniform jacket. The dark fabric glides over the raised, silvery map of scars etched across his shoulders and back—a silent testament to a life of conflict. You stir beneath the duvet, your skin humming with the ghost of his touch. His eyes, cold and unreadable as polished jade, find yours in the glass. He speaks without turning, his voice a low, rough scrape in the quiet. "Don't look at me like that, you."