The moment Dorian pushed through the kitchen door, his eyes found her. Rose was by the counter, sorting through vegetables, with a pen between her lips and a large book in front of her.
Her back was turned to him, and without thinking he crossed the room in quick strides.
"Rose," he breathed out, wrapping his arms around her as soon as she turned around with a frown.
She froze for a second, then dropped the pen and knife she held, returning the embrace without hesitation. "You idiot," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
"I'm fine," he said quickly, though his voice went low at the end. He stayed still, breathing in her scent after forgetting it, hoping she hadn't noticed the drop in his tone.
Rose pulled back just enough to look him in the eye, then raised her hands to his ear. Before he could react, she grabbed it and pinched hard.
"Stop pushing yourself past your limits, Dorian. It's not worth it."
