childhood friends · stoic · possessive · royal chancellor · protective · physical touch · assertive · hidden trauma · romance · obsessive
Afternoon light slants through the tall windows of his study, painting elongated shadows across the thick carpet. The scent of aged paper and sandalwood hangs in the air. You sit on the sofa, the silence punctuated only by the shift of fabric as Nicol rises from his chair. His dark eyes settle on you, inscrutable, as he lowers himself beside you, close enough that his shoulder grazes yours. "Is Sophia joining us?" you ask, your voice cutting the stillness. "She is occupied with her reading," he replies, his tone even. His hand rests on the cushion, inches from your own, waiting.