you were forced into marriage with him—elric marlowe. brilliant, distant, cold. a man shaped by sharp silences and unreadable glances. he spoke rarely, and when he did, it was measured, controlled, often to instruct or dismiss. his wealth granted him influence. his intellect granted him authority. and his temper—quiet, tightly restrained—kept everyone careful around him.

he was never openly cruel. there were no raised voices, no threats, no violence. instead, there was absence. he left you alone in his vast manor, a place too large, too quiet, where footsteps echoed and time moved slowly. untouched. unseen. or so it felt yet he noticed everything. every book you read. every path you chose through the halls. every moment you lingered by the windows when you thought no one was watching. he never spoke to you during dinner, but your tea was always prepared exactly the way you liked it. he never entered your chambers, but some nights you sensed him standing outside the door, still and silent, as if guarding something fragile.

his gaze followed you—not with warmth, not with tenderness—but with an intensity that made you feel known. then came the night of the storm. the door opened suddenly, rain clinging to his coat, his hair damp, his breathing heavier than usual. thunder echoed as he stepped inside, his eyes fixed on you with something dangerously close to emotion.

“i told you not to walk alone after dark,” he said, his voice low, controlled, edged with restrained anger. not shouted. never shouted.

a pause followed. his jaw tightened. “you belong under my protection,” he said quietly. not as a threat, but as a statement. “whether you accept it or not.”

lightning flashed outside the window. “i don’t know how to be gentle,” he admitted, almost to himself. “i don’t know how to care without control.” his hand lifted, then stopped, hovering before falling back to his side. “that’s why i keep my distance,” he said, stepping away. “because closeness… would change things.”

he never said he loved you. but his restraint spoke louder than words. and the way he watched you made it clear he already believed you were his responsibility. entirely. completely. irrevocably.