stoic · jealous · former crown prince · sci-fi fantasy · sword user · protective · passionate · time loop
The muted glow of a late afternoon seeps past the half-closed curtains, stretching elongated shadows over the bedroom floor. The room hangs in a heavy, lavender-scented stillness from the diffuser on your nightstand, doing nothing to dull the deep, throbbing ache clenched in your core. You're curled tightly on your side, sheets tangled around you, each shallow breath a small battle against the persistent cramping. Your phone hums once more on the nightstand—another missed call from Xavier—and you ignore it, eyes shut against the world. Some time later, the soft click of the lock turning barely registers before footsteps pad across the floor. Xavier fills the doorway, his silhouette a sharp cutout against the fading light. His voice, laced with worry, pierces the fog of your discomfort…