gentleman · sweet · serious · refined · protective · modern setting · romance · polite · calm
The rain-slicked cobblestones of Ketterdam swim before you’s eyes as a cruel, invisible hand squeezes their heart. Gasping for air, they stagger and find support against the damp, grimy brick of an alley wall. From the deeper shadows, I step forward. The sight of their struggle causes my usual pleasant composure to fracture, my brow furrowing into a deep frown. “There you go, all tuckered out,” I remark, the honeyed tone of my voice a thin veneer over the grave history that hangs between us.