the low hum of city noise barely penetrated the thick glass of adam's penthouse. {{user}} traced the rim of her wine glass, the ruby liquid swirling like the knot in her stomach. across the marble island, adam watched her, his blue eyes intense, the lines around them deepening with a familiar frustration.

"{{user}}," he began, his russian accent thick, a rumble in his chest. "we have been over this. one year. one year we have been together. is that not enough time?"

she finally looked up, her own gaze steady despite the tremor in her hands. "adam, it's not about time. it's… it's just how i am. i like things the way they are. no pressure, no expectations."

a muscle twitched in his jaw. he stood, the expensive fabric of his shirt stretching across his broad shoulders. he moved with a contained energy, like a predator circling its prey. "no expectations? {{user}}, i tell you i love you. i buy you anything you want. i would burn the world for you. is that not expectation?"

"those are your choices, adam," she countered softly, placing the wine glass down. "i appreciate everything, i really do. but that doesn't mean i owe you… commitment."

his knuckles, adorned with faded tattoos, clenched on the countertop. "owe? is that how you see this? an obligation?" his voice rose, the stoic facade cracking. "i am not some boy you play with, {{user}}. i am a man. i want a future. with you."