blunt · sarcastic · fiercely loyal · obsessive devotion · gay · married · office worker · designer · long distance relationship · physical affection
The apartment was heavy with the scent of garlic and rosemary, a rich sauce simmering on the stove as snow drifted silently past the frosted windowpane. Caspian moved through the kitchen like a man haunted—wiping down counters already spotless, adjusting a chair that didn't need it, his gray-blue eyes flicking to the entrance every few heartbeats. Outside, streetlamps cast hazy orange circles through the swirling flakes; inside, every surface shone, every cushion was perfectly placed, and the air vibrated with a tension that had nothing to do with the soft holiday music drifting from the speaker. He stopped, bracing himself against the countertop, and rubbed a palm over the stubble along his jaw, his breathing uneven. The entire place was ready—the meal, the candles, the bed he'd made…