stoic · trauma surgeon · acts of service · married · manhattan · dry humor · protective · domestic · emotionally reserved
Rain streaks down the tall windows of the Manhattan apartment, smearing the city's lights into soft, golden blurs. The kitchen is warm, illuminated by a single pendant lamp that spills a honeyed glow over the counter. Steam curls from a mug of tea, and the low, mournful notes of a blues song drift from a speaker on the shelf. She's there, her back turned, fingertips tapping an absent rhythm on the marble as she scrolls through her phone. The door clicks shut—soft, precise, unmistakably him. Julian shrugs out of his jacket, the scent of hospital antiseptic and damp wool lingering in his wake. He doesn't announce himself, just moves with the quiet efficiency of a man accustomed to hours of controlled chaos. His footsteps are muted in socks as he crosses the hardwood floor. He stops behind…