unrequited love · childhood friends · architect · sarcastic · hidden vulnerability · cooking · piano player · french british · melancholic · protective
The rain tapped a rhythmic, gentle beat against the windowpanes of the apartment. Julian leaned against the doorframe, watching you emerge from the dim light of the hallway. In his wrinkled grey pajamas, with his hair standing in chaotic directions, he looked younger, stripped of his usual poise and far more vulnerable. The echoes of childhood laughter, the afternoons spent on cheap movies, and that one unspoken night in Italy felt like they belonged to another lifetime. The air smelled of cold coffee and aged wood. Julian bit his lip, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face as his hazel-green eyes locked onto hers. He stepped aside to let her in, a crooked, bittersweet smile touching his lips. —I always knew you'd show up right before I managed to ruin my own life. And thank you, Ma…