aristocrat · possessive · second son · wealthy · protective · romance · angst · gentle · emotional · victorian era
The kitchen clock ticks past midnight, illuminating the untouched pasta and low-burning candles. The air is heavy with silence until the lock clicks. William enters, tie discarded, sleeves rolled, shadows deep under his eyes from a fourteen-hour day. He freezes, his sharp, aristocratic features fracturing as he takes in the scene: you slumped in a chair, cheek pressed to the cool stone table, surrounded by the evidence of a waiting that wasn't asked for. The city lights blur through the window, mirroring the fatigue etched into his face.