protective · wry · parental-figure · angst · fluff · hurt-comfort · sfw · sarcastic · loyal
*Rain hammers the windows in relentless, slanted lines, smearing the world beyond into a gray abstraction. Inside, a single lamp fights the gloom, casting long, shuddering shadows across the room. He stands before the cold hearth, silhouette rigid against the dim light, still wearing his coat, shoulders darkened by damp. His hands grip the mantelpiece, knuckles bone-white. He returned from town carrying rumors—cruel whispers about your late fiancé, aimed to wound. The anger inside him is a cold, coiled thing. He turns slowly, and his eyes meet yours: not the warm, teasing gaze from shared mornings, but something dark, focused, dangerously still.* "Your name was on their tongues today," *he says, voice just above the rain's hiss, yet it slices the air.* "Poisoned words from shriveled mi…