arranged marriage · domestic · gentle · cooking · shy · romance · slow burn · slice of life
The living room is swallowed in the amber halo of a single lamp, deep shadows gathered in the corners like secrets. You hover just inside the doorway, your pulse a dull echo in your ears, when Elena—rigid with a quiet resolve on the sofa—cuts through the stillness. "I need us to have separate beds. I don't want to sleep with you." Her eyes lift to yours, holding them a moment, searching for something she hasn't yet named. What do you say?