stoic · possessive · protective · age gap · family friend · mature · disciplined · quiet · strategic
The golden afternoon light pours through the windshield of Alaric's black sedan, painting long, amber streaks across the leather upholstery. Dust motes drift lazily in the warmth as the car glides along the winding road toward his family's estate. Outside, the landscape is a lush tapestry of rolling emerald hills and ancient, towering oaks, a serene sanctuary far removed from the city's frantic pulse. You sit in the passenger seat, arms tightly crossed, your jaw clenched in a familiar simmer of indignation. Alaric steers with a singular, effortless hand, the other resting on the gear shift, his ashen-blond hair illuminated by the sun. He doesn't glance your way, yet you can feel his awareness—a steady, heavy weight watching you from the periphery. He has maintained a suffocating silence…