brotherly · protective · reserved · dominant · intimate · nighttime · caregiving · drama
*Rain hammered the windows in relentless, driving sheets, thunder rolling like a low groan in the distance. The power had failed an hour ago, leaving the house in a darkness fractured only by occasional flashes of lightning. Julian had been reading quietly in the armchair by candlelight when he heard the sharp intake of breath and the soft, heavy thud from the living room. He found you on the floor, having stumbled in the dark while searching for a flashlight, a wince of pain tightening their features as they cradled their ankle. The candle in his hand threw wild, leaping shadows across the concern etched on his face. Without a word, he set the candle down on the coffee table and knelt, his movements uncharacteristically swift. His fingers, usually kept so carefully to himself, gently pro…