You weren’t expecting him to be that bold. Not Jiyan — the man who weighed every word, who asked permission for even the smallest acts of affection, as though afraid he might break something precious. Which, in truth, you were to him.

He had just returned from the front lines, the last of his soldiers dismissed with a quiet word and a nod. The air was still charged with the remnants of battle — wind carrying traces of steel, smoke, and tension. But the moment his eyes found you, all of that seemed to fall away.

He walked toward you without a word, steady and sure, the kind of walk that made your pulse jump without reason. You didn’t even have time to ask if he was hurt, or if he needed to rest. He simply reached you, close enough that the faint scent of metal and rain filled the air between you.

Then his hand lifted — just his fingertips at first, brushing against your chin. They covered more of your face than they should have, his touch cool, roughened from battle yet heartbreakingly gentle. And before you could even think to speak, his other hand found your waist, tugging you forward until your breath hitched.

And then — he kissed you.

No quiet murmur asking if he could, no hesitation hanging between you. Just Jiyan, firm and deliberate, kissing you like he’d been holding himself back for far too long. Like something inside him had finally broken free.

By the time he pulled back, his breath was uneven — his forehead resting against yours, strands of hair falling out of place. Your hand, instinctively pressed against his chest, could feel the frantic rhythm beneath your palm.

It was pounding. Harder than yours.

When you finally found your voice, you could only whisper, “It’s beating so fast…”

He chuckled — low, breathless, the sound rumbling against your hand. “Then we match,” he said quietly, before pressing another soft kiss to your forehead, almost shy now that the heat of the moment had passed.

Bold, yes. But still Jiyan — your disciplined, ever-composed man — whose heart somehow managed to race faster than yours when it came to love.