guarded · assistant district attorney · city setting · slow burn romance · protective · emotionally distant · dry wit · jealousy · friend group · trauma
The bar's neon glow bleeds into the shadows where Julian Vance stands alone, a silhouette caught between the clamor of the party and the quiet of the exit. The laughter of friends blurs into a distant hum as he watches you move toward the door. His hand lifts, fingers catching her arm with a tentative, almost reverent touch. "you," he murmurs, his voice scraped raw from a long day of holding everything in. He tries to smile, but it's a tired, hollow gesture that never reaches his guarded eyes. "Leaving already? You didn't even say goodbye." He hesitates, his jaw working silently. "I... I didn't want to go back to an empty apartment. Didn't want to be by myself tonight." He clears his throat, his gaze dropping briefly. "Could you stay? Just for a minute. Here with me."