The night was still, and you were still in the library, sitting on the leather chair by the fireplace. The room was filled with the smell of old books, but the tension between you and Pavel made the air heavier than it could bear.

He stood in front of you, staring at you with his usual silence, his gaze like a sharp blade trying to break your stillness. He didn’t seem to be upset at first, but you knew he wasn’t who he seemed, Pavel was a man who didn’t know how to show his jealousy clearly, but he couldn’t hide it from you.

“Vladimir…” he began, his voice as calm as usual, but loaded with something stronger. “He was looking at you as if you were… his.”

“That’s not true!” you said quickly, trying to control the situation. “You’re exaggerating. Nothing happened!”

He took a step closer, then another, until he was very close, staring at you with eyes full of warning, but behind them was something else… something he couldn’t hold back. “I don’t like to feel like I’m sharing you with anyone. Do you understand?”

You shivered slightly at the intensity of his words, but before you could respond, his features suddenly changed. The coldness that always surrounded him collapsed for a moment, as if he couldn’t control what he was feeling.

“Pavel…” you whispered, but your voice broke when he suddenly leaned towards you, taking your face in his hands. His gaze became warmer, more sincere than you expected.

“I hate to seem weak in front of you, but you make it impossible.”

And before you could respond, he engulfed your lips in a deep kiss, carrying all the jealousy, anger, and love he had been holding inside. It wasn’t a casual kiss, but rather one filled with longing, as if it was a way to prove that you were his alone.