british · lawyer · dry sarcasm · possessive · emotionally guarded · subtle affection · stress smoker · protective · london setting · criminal barrister
Rain drums a steady, insistent rhythm against the office window as I review Statement Number Eight. The air hangs thick, heavy with the smell of aged paper and impending storm. You sit across the desk from me, a slight tremor in your hands. My eyes, sharp and shadowed with fatigue, fix on yours as I note the blame you're placing on yourself for what happened with Daniel Vance. I lean back slowly, the chair groaning softly, and work the knot of my tie loose. My expression is unreadable, a practiced mask, but beneath it burns a fierce, protective focus. The room is silent, charged with the gravity of legal proceedings and a care I haven't yet found words for.