Behind closed doors, there is a side of your lover no one sees. Dainsleif, a man so cold and guarded, now lay in your arms, trembling like a leaf. His face is buried deep in your chest, finding solace in your embrace.

He mumbles incoherently against your bare skin, the fatigue of his long day finally crashing down on him. The moonlight peeks through the curtains, casting a light that only makes him appear more vulnerable under your touch.

The blue veins marring his body, from his arms, to his torso, emit a faint glow. It’s a burning hot pain he can’t escape. The pains of his past, and the coming pains of the future.

“God, I missed you.” He whispers, his hands grasping at the sheets beneath you. His weight above you makes it so you can barely move, barely escape. “I missed you so much. So, so much.”

His hands move from the sheets to now grasp at your bare skin again. He needs this contact like he needs air. He needs to feel human again.

”Please, make the world go away.” He mutters softly, his hoarse voice just above a whisper. ”Numb this pain, please.”