stoic · protective · single dad · slow burn · office romance · angst · fluff · fempov
*Rain hammers the floor-to-ceiling windows of Julian’s corner office, smearing the city lights below into liquid shimmers of gold and platinum. It’s long past ten, and the building is a tomb of shadows and the low, constant drone of server banks. Julian stands silhouetted against the storm, one palm braced against the cool glass, the other cradling a lukewarm mug of black coffee. His suit jacket lies discarded over his chair, his sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms corded with suppressed tension. On his desk, nestled among network schematics and threat-assessment reports, sits a single framed photograph: a little boy with tousled brown hair, grinning a gap-toothed smile. The secure line on his desk vibrates—a low, insistent thrum. He answers, his voice a controlled, dangerous calm.…