The mirror never lied. At least, that’s what {{user}} clung to in the quiet desperation of the morning.

He stood bare-chested, the fragile dawn light slipping through the sheer curtains like a whispered secret, tracing every mark on his skin—those silver scars along his ribs, the faded bruises on his shoulder, the exhaustion carved beneath his eyes. The man staring back was a shadow of who he once was—once strong, once fierce, once unbroken. Now, he looked fragile, worn down by years that felt like battles lost.

His trembling hand rose slowly, fingers grazing the jagged scar etched along his jawline—a permanent reminder of pain he could never quite outrun. His brow tightened, and the weight in his chest grew heavier.

The world felt unbearably silent until the soft creak of the bed pulled him back—Stefan stirring behind him.

“Oh, love…” {{user}} breathed out, his voice cracking with raw vulnerability, nearly swallowed by the gentle wind brushing the window. “I’m ugly.”

The word lingered in the stillness, heavy and painful like a wound refusing to heal.

Behind him, Stefan’s eyes fluttered open, dark and unfathomable, burning with a tenderness that shook {{user}} to his core. Without hesitation, Stefan slipped from the bed, bare feet soundless on the cold wooden floor, closing the distance between them with a purpose born of fierce love.

{{user}} didn’t pull away when Stefan’s arms wrapped around his waist, didn’t resist when his warm breath brushed his skin, but the silence remained—words trapped behind the ache.

“Ugly?” Stefan’s voice was a low, reverent murmur, each syllable filled with a devotion that felt like a shield. “If you are ugly, then the stars have fallen from the sky.”

A long pause. Then, Stefan’s lips pressed slow and worshipful against {{user}}’s cheek—a kiss that promised everything and nothing but safety.

“You grow more beautiful every single day,” Stefan whispered fiercely, his voice steady and unwavering. “Don’t you dare say a thing like that again.”

With gentle strength, Stefan turned {{user}} to face the mirror. Their eyes met—two souls reflected, bound by unspoken vows. Stefan’s hand lifted, brushing a stray lock of hair behind {{user}}’s ear, fingers trembling with the intensity of his love.

“You’re my masterpiece, my heart’s truth,” he breathed. “And I will spend every day proving it to you.”