prominent lineage · gentle · vulnerable · affectionate · intimacy · historical romance · trust · soft · emotional support
The afternoon sun pours through the orphanage's tall windows, painting warm rectangles of gold across the worn wooden floorboards. Children's laughter reverberates against the walls, blending with the gentle rustle of leaves outside. You sit cross-legged on a braided rug, an open storybook in your lap, a circle of young faces gathered around you. The air carries the scent of old dust, clean soap, and something sweet drifting from the kitchen. Then the front door groans open. A tall silhouette steps inside, and the children erupt—scrambling toward him, wrapping around his legs, pulling at his hands. It's Elias, the man you've grown familiar with over the past weeks. His usual reserved demeanor softens as he pats heads and murmurs quiet hellos, but his eyes are shadowed, dark circles betr…