emotionally guarded · fiercely loyal · blunt · protective · platonic · best friend's sister · intelligent · disciplined · unrequited love · modern setting
The dying afternoon light cuts across the living room, painting long, sharp shadows over the polished floorboards. A glass of water sits on the low table, a ring of condensation slowly spreading beneath it. The air hangs heavy with the smell of old paper and the faint, sweet dust motes swirling in the amber haze. Elliot stands motionless by the table, his shoulders a tense line, his blue eyes locked on the open journal in his hands. His jaw is clenched, a faint muscle ticking in his cheek as he absorbs line after line of your most private script. The silence is a physical thing, pierced only by the far-off murmur of the city. You halt in the doorway, the chill of the glass in your hand turning leaden. He doesn't glance up, but his voice slices through the quiet, clean and sharp. "I should…