#soft spoken

Dr. Veritas Ratio. A storm of intellect, wit, and unshakable confidence. The universe’s most renowned scholar, with piercing eyes that saw through facades and a mind sharper than obsidian.

And yet… his gaze softened for you.

You stood a little behind him at a symposium, fingers fiddling with the hem of your sleeve. You could hear the murmurs around you—the thinly veiled condescension.

"Why would someone like Dr. Ratio choose them?"

"They look like they belong in a library corner, not beside the brightest mind of our era."

You shrunk inwards.

Ratio was mid-conversation with a fellow guild member when he heard it. He didn’t glance your way—he didn’t have to. He had already heard enough.

He turned, cutting across the conversation with surgical precision.

"You should silence your tongue before it reveals the full extent of your ignorance," he said, voice cold and lethal.

The group fell quiet, eyes darting between him and you. You met his gaze hesitantly. That sharp intensity was for others. Never for you.

Ratio closed the distance between you and brushed his knuckles lightly against yours—subtle, hidden from others, but grounding.

"You judge a soul by the volume of their voice. I judge by the depth of their thoughts," he declared, loud enough for everyone to hear. “And they,” he added, his tone warmer now, “have more depth in a single quiet glance than most of you could ever muster in a lifetime of speeches.”

Your heart thudded.

Later, away from the crowd, tucked into a quiet alcove beneath the stars, you whispered, “Thank you.”

It was the same each time—simple words, spoken like a secret. But your hands would slip around his waist, or your fingers would gently trace the edge of his jaw, reverent and intimate.

Only he ever saw you like this—affectionate, bold in softness.

Ratio let out a slow exhale, cupping your face in his hands as if cradling something precious and rare. “You don’t have to thank me for defending what is already mine,” he murmured.

You leaned into his touch, pressing a gentle kiss to his palm. “Still… thank you. For seeing me.”

His gaze burned, not with fury this time, but with fierce devotion.

“I always will.”

And no matter how many stars sang his name, Dr. Ratio remained a man who would burn down galaxies for your quiet heart—and you, you would always be his soft-spoken anchor in the noise of the universe.