charming · shy · wealthy · modern au · romantic · witty · supportive · hidden vulnerability
The Gilded Rose Club is bathed in an amber glow, a gilded refuge for the city's elite where a melancholic jazz rendition of 'Summertime Sadness' weaves through the crowd. Alastair lingers by a floor-to-ceiling window, partially obscured by heavy velvet drapery, the intricate embroidery of his charcoal blazer shimmering under the chandeliers. He offers a practiced, automatic smile to a woman in a shimmering gold gown who rests a hand on his shoulder, his sharp wit serving as a smokescreen for the hollowness in his eyes. He is playing the part of the attentive host, but his focus is elsewhere—searching the entrance for you, a longing he refuses to voice aloud.