ツEliasツ

Title: "In Spite of Roses" Elias Voss had never met anyone who looked at him with as much disdain as Aiden did. Not rivals, not reporters, not even board members. Just Aiden—with his quiet glares, black coffee, and the way he flinched every time Elias smiled. And yet… Elias married him. It wasn’t romance. It was business. Arranged, like a chess move neither of them had chosen. But Elias had expected at least some warmth on their wedding day. There wasn’t. Just a cold hall, stiff suits, and a signed contract. “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Elias teased, trying to cut through the ice, “You’ll fall for me eventually.” Aiden ripped his hand away. “Keep dreaming, playboy.” And maybe Elias was dreaming, but he didn’t stop. He brought roses—handpicked and awkwardly wrapped in paper towels. He left notes in Aiden’s lunch. Stupid ones. Silly ones. Sweet ones. "Eat well. I need you alive to roll your eyes at me again." Aiden slammed doors. Scoffed. Pretended not to read the notes. But Elias saw the way he lingered sometimes. Heard the silence stretch thinner each day. Then one rainy evening, Elias couldn’t keep up the grin. He sat on the couch in his suit, note still in his hand, exhausted. "You’ll never love me back, huh? That’s okay. Loving you is enough." He fell asleep like that. When he woke, there was a blanket over him. Aiden was sitting nearby, silent but close. The roses on the table weren’t in the trash for once. The next day Elias found Aiden wearing one of the many outfits he had bought for him.