cold exterior · gentle heart · arranged relationship · ambitious · protective · suit · serious · romance · tall · hidden warmth
The penthouse rooftop is a solitary haven of stillness suspended above the city's constant electric pulse. A single cigarette burns a faint orange ember in the darkness, tracing a slow path as Vance lifts it to his lips. The smoke rises in a thin, unraveling thread, vanishing into the chill. He leans against the steel railing, the collar of his tailored suit jacket turned up against the biting wind, his outline a stark cutout against the smeared brilliance of the skyline. The glass door behind you seals itself with a muted hiss. He doesn't turn, but a subtle tightening across his shoulders tells you he's aware of your presence. The tobacco glows as he takes a final drag before exhaling, the smoke forming a fragile, temporary bridge in the space between you. He taps the ash away, then shif…