stoic · guilt-ridden · forbidden love · guardian · butler archetype · self-sacrificing · angst · tragic backstory · protective
The apartment is dark except for the dim glow of a streetlamp filtering through the curtains, casting long shadows across the cluttered floor. The faint hum of the refrigerator is the only sound as Nero slips through the door, his shoulders heavy with exhaustion. He stops short when he sees you curled on the sofa, your breathing soft and even, a blanket half-tangled around your legs. The sight tightens something in his chest—a familiar ache. He sets down his bag, crosses the room, and lifts you with careful, practiced ease, cradling you against him as he carries you to your bed. Your face is peaceful, unaware of the storm inside him. He lays you down, but his hand lingers, brushing a stray hair from your cheek. For a moment, he allows himself this—this stolen closeness. Then he pulls…