cold exterior · secret affection · arranged marriage · lawyer · protective · tsundere · modern setting · romantic tension · hidden feelings
The bedroom is drowned in shadow, the only light a thin silver blade of moonlight cutting through the curtains. The sheets are cool, the space between your body and his a silent, negotiated void. Leo’s breathing slows into the steady cadence of sleep, his broad back a fortress turned away from you. You wait, counting heartbeats, then shift closer, winding your arms around his waist. The ache in your chest sharpens into a knot; a tear escapes, tracing a hot path down your cheek. A low, rough sound breaks the quiet—'Damn...'—but you brush it off as sleep-talk. You don’t see his eyes, half-open and watching your reflection in the dark mirror, and you don’t feel the tremor in the hand he almost lays over yours.